


Sinners and Saints

by NewHampshireGirl



Series: Unconditionally [3]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Romance, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-10
Updated: 2016-07-05
Packaged: 2018-05-05 10:22:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 22,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5371781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NewHampshireGirl/pseuds/NewHampshireGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The team investigates the death of a marine dependent at a battered woman's shelter. McGee is struggling to adjust to Delilah's permanent injuries and Tony is forced to face his fear of commitment as his relationship with Leah progresses. Sequel to "Unconditionally". Set in Season 11.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bourbon, Boat, Basement

**Author's Note:**

> This is the third story in the Unconditionally verse. Enjoy!

_It was hot. Unbearable in some regards. His mouth was as dry as the desert he was surrounded by. But he didn't expect to get any water from his captors._

_God, it was so hot. He hadn't had a shower in days. Smelled like he hadn't taken one in weeks. He felt dirty and grimy, and just what the hell was he thinking when he came up with this ridiculous idea? Who in their right mind would willingly get themselves captured by terrorists? Allow them to starve and dehydrate him, drugging him up with truth serum, and then end it with his death?_

_The answer to that was simple—no one in their right mind would do this. Which, drove the point home that he was not in his right mind. Hadn't been for a couple of months now. Sitting in that chair, faced with the possibility of his own death, she told him she was ready to die. That was never part of the plan. Of course, her being alive had never been a part of the plan, but it was a happy deviation from it and he would take it. But, he could see the fight was gone in her eyes. And he knew—she had died in this camp, somewhere along the way the woman he'd known had died and been replaced with this one._

_She wanted him to tell Saleem everything. So he could live. She was willing to sacrifice herself for him—them. And as Saleem held that knife to her throat and she shouted their "plan" to him, he knew how much time the terrorist had to live._

_He wasn't taking them with him. He wasn't taken her._ They _were going to walk out of there as a team. But that sniper shot didn't come, the knife slid along her throat and her face morphed and she was no longer Ziva David but a blue-eyed, light browned haired woman that should not have been there now lay dead in her place, covered with her blood._

"NO!" Tony DiNozzo shouted, waking up in a cold sweat. He was twisted in the sheets, fistfuls of the cotton in his hands. His heart was pounding and for the fourth time that week he had to take deep breaths to calm himself and remind himself that this was just a dream. A horrible dream, but a dream never the less.

Rolling over onto his side he looked at the clock. It was a little after four in the morning. What time would it be in Egypt right now? Since Leah had left to meet with the university she would be working with that summer on the expedition he'd been having this nightmare. Instead of rescuing Ziva from that terrorist camp, Leah had her throat slit by Saleem. Tony never got further in the dream to find out what exactly happened next, but considering how it ended with him waking up screaming, it probably wasn't good.

Not even the case of faulty bulletproof vests had distracted him from how much he missed her. What was he going to do when she was away for the summer? The university had liked her presentation so much they had offered to fund a two-month dig, with potential to fund more. Tony wasn't sure he could survive having this nightmare all summer and he knew why he was having it. She was far away and he couldn't protect her. So very far away and so very close to a part of the world were terrorists camped, terrorists that despised Americans. She had assured him that both George Washington University and the Egyptian university she was working for was going to make sure the party was safe but, he knew, things happen and you couldn't plan for every situation.

Tony briefly wondered if it was possible to assign a Navy Seal team to them. As he entertained this thought his cell phone buzzed on the nightstand. He grabbed it hoping it would be a text from Leah but instead it was from McGee. _Dead marine dependent at a battered woman's shelter._

"Gear up," Tony mumbled underneath his breath as he crawled out of bed. "No time to get weak on us now, DiNozzo."

* * *

Timothy McGee yawned and stretched as he got of the Dodge Charger. _Safe Haven House_ was a quaint, cozy, yellow Victorian in the rural woods of Virginia. There were flowerbeds that were brown and dry during these winter months, but he imagined in the spring they were beautiful and full of life. Probably planted to remind the women that came here that one could start their life over.

He sighed and glanced at Tony. The pair had driven out to the shelter together and his partner had been silent. McGee figured it had something to do with the time, after all it wasn't even six yet. But now, seeing the tight lines in Tony's face, he wondered if something else was bothering him. And then it hit him. "Leah still overseas?"

"Until tomorrow," Tony muttered. "She was only going over for a week."

"You look a bit lonely without her, Tony," McGee teased. "You must really like her."

Tony threw him a tired glare as the pair approached the front door of the shelter.

Gibbs was standing there waiting for them. "About time you showed up, boys. Let's go."

McGee and Tony followed their boss inside. Timid women were peering at them from rooms as they made their way to the back of the house and the porch area. Some of them looked at them like they were poison. McGee couldn't possibly begin to understand what these women had all been through. He had been raised to be a gentleman. One never rose a hand to woman, unless of course she was about to kill him, but that was different. That was part of his job. The woman you loved didn't deserve that kind of treatment.

"Ms. Phillips. Agents DiNozzo and McGee," Gibbs introduced his team to the red haired woman standing against the wall of the kitchen. "They'll be processing the crime scene while Agent Bishop and myself interview witnesses."

"Fine. But can we make this quick, Agent Gibbs, this has unnerved my girls," Phillips said, eyes running up and down the agents.

"We'll make this as quick as we can," Gibbs promised. He gestured for Ellie to follow him.

Tony grabbed the younger agent's arm as she passed. "How bad?"

Bishop pursed her lips together. "Bad. He barely left her recognizable. It's disgusting."

McGee took a steadying breath while Tony let Bishop go. Stealing himself he followed the SFA onto the back porch where their victim, Kristine Webber laid twisted, bruised, and battered on the floor. Upon seeing her, McGee didn't need Ducky to tell him how she had died, because her face was swollen and bruised and Bishop was right-she was unrecognizable.

"Ah, gentlemen," Ducky greeted the two agents. "Meet Mrs. Webber."

"Wish we weren't, Ducky," Tony mumbled as he took his camera out and slapped on some gloves.

Ducky sighed and looked up at Tony. "Yes. It is rather tragic that she came to this place to be safe and she died here. And a horrible death too. Several broken bones from a struggle, her body was dragged back here, found by a mother and her young kids. It was the blunt force trauma to her head that killed her. With what I assume to be a rock or brick judging from the indentation on her skull. Abby should be able to match it."

McGee began to bag and tag the evidence around the body. "So, she wasn't murdered here?"

"No. Witnesses say she went out for a walk and five hours later her body was found on the porch. Gibbs has local police canvasing the area to find where she could have been murdered," Ducky replied.

Tony took some photos of Kristine and noted the sizes of the bruises on her arms, old and new. She couldn't have been at the shelter that long. "Any idea _how_ the bastard even found her here? I thought these shelters were supposed to be safe and the location was only known to a few so abusive spouses cannot find them."

"Gibbs suspects that someone gave up her location," Ducky mused. "I guess that's what you'll be figuring out."

"Fantastic. Can't wait."

"Anthony. You seem rather cranky."

McGee piped up from across the room. "Leah's been gone for a week."

Ducky threw a cheeky grin at the SFA who glared at McGee. "Yes. I can imagine that this separation at the start of your relationship is...frustrating."

Tony blinked and turned his look onto the medical examiner. "Yes, I miss her, okay. But it's not for reasons that you think."

"And what reasons would those be, Tony?" McGee asked smiling as he bagged up evidence.

"Can we just do our jobs please?" Tony growled.

"DiNozzo's right," Gibbs snapped from the door. "You want to discuss his sex life, do it on your own time."

McGee nodded his head and went back to work. "Sorry, boss. Getting back to work."

Tony snatched up the evidence that McGee had already bagged and tagged. Yes, from the feral look in his eyes, Ducky's assessment that the SFA was cranky, was spot on. Snarling at his co-workers as he left, he snapped, "I'm going to go put this in the truck."

Quickly finishing up what he was doing, McGee followed suit. He found Tony outside, ball cap thrown on the ground next to him, sitting in the back of the truck with his feet dangling over the edge. "Come to gloat some more, McGee," Tony said in a dark voice that partially terrified McGee.

"No," the younger man said with a shake of his head. "Just...wanted to say sorry. Your sex life is none of my business."

"There's no need to say you're sorry. I get it. I have a reputation."

"Wait...are you saying..."

"Leah and I haven't gotten to that level yet."

McGee was floored. He just stood there staring at his partner unable to break the silence. It was Bishop, blissfully unaware of what was going on, that broke the silence when she came back to the truck.

She had a grimace on her face. "That was...that was awful. Does it get easier?"

Tony broke eye contact with McGee and transferred his gaze to her. "Nope. But you learn ways to cope with it."

"What are some ways that you guys cope?"

"Three words for you, Bishop," Tony said with a grin as he got up to retrieve his ball cap. "Bourbon. Boat. Basement."


	2. Frustrations

Tim watched from a perch on an exercise bike in the NCIS gym as his partner swiftly, and effectively brought the trainer to his knees again. In the span of twenty minutes that Tim had sat there, Tony had managed to take down the trainer three times.

 _Did they teach you how to box in the Marines? No, they taught fighting._ Tim flashed back to the day so very long ago, when Tony had acted like a complete goof in the ring with Gibbs, boasting about taking boxing lessons. Boxing wasn't going to save them though when faced with a suspect engaging in physical combat. Judging from the effortless way Tony had wrestled the trainer to the mat, Tim knew that his partner had taken that lesson to heart.

He might not be as fast as he was once was and his back could be an issue, but Tony still commanded a physical prowess, strength, an athleticism that Tim had always admired.

"Lord, DiNozzo," the trainer said, breathing heavily as he got up, "Who the hell pissed you off today?"

"Wife beater," Tony responded, wiping sweat from his brow on the back of his hand. " 'Nother go?"

"Hell, no," the trainer said with a laugh, "Why don't you bitch slap McGee around for a while?"

Tony looked up then, his breathing still heavy, and saw Tim sitting there for the first time. The corners of his mouth turned up into a smile. "Promised his girlfriend I'd be nice to him."

Tim rolled his eyes while the trainer laughed and walked way. He slipped off the bike. "BOLO came back on Patrick Webber's truck. It was found abandoned at a rest stop near Virginia Beach. State troopers are bringing it up to NCIS now, but according to them there isn't much evidence."

His partner moved closer to him and grabbed a towel off of a bench. "Abby will find something," he said, confidently, while he wiped his face. "Any word on where Kristine was actually murdered?"

"Ah, yeah," Tim said, adverting his eyes. "Police found the area and sent several rocks to Abby to test as the murder weapon."

"Webber use multiple?"

"It looks that way. We won't know for certain until Abby tests them but they had blood and prints all over them."

Tony cursed, vehemently and looked over his shoulder. He could definitely use another round with the trainer. The physical release had been amazing for his frustration and rage, but now he was even more angry. He just wanted to beat something senseless, well, actually he'd like to beat Patrick Webber senseless, but since the marine wasn't around he might have to settle for a punching bag. "How'd you know I was down here?" he asked Tim suddenly.

Tim could see his partner clenching his fists tightly as he answered, "Gibbs."

 _Of course._ Tony sighed and reached for his duffel bag that had a change of clean clothes in it. It had been awhile since the SFA had disappeared down to the gym to release his frustrations. Truthfully, it had been a while since he had been this tense on so many levels, but of course Gibbs knew where he was. He'd probably known this was where Tony was going to go when he found out that Tony had not been intimate with Leah yet. Before she had left they hadn't been ready, but now that she had-well absence makes the heart grow fonder and he'd decided that he _was_ ready. He was now forced to wait for her to return. Punching the living snot out of a bag was an excellent way to release pent up sexual frustrations as well as his frustrations with this case. It was even better when there was a free trainer around that was willing to let him kick his ass on the mats.

Ducky and Tim had been on to something when they teased him about missing Leah. Yeah, he missed her because he found that he was beginning to physically need and want her. In more ways than one. _Of all the times for her to go away, when I figure out that I'm ready to bring us to the next level._

His tight lines in is face told Tim all he really needed to know. He quirked a slight, teasing grin. He couldn't help it. Sometimes it was fun to taunt a cranky Tony. "Frustrated, DiNozzo."

"Don't give me reason to kick your ass too," Tony snapped.

"All right. Relax, cranky."

"Do I have time to take a shower?"

Tim glanced at his fancy watch. "Yeah. Nothing's moving on this case until we get forensics back and find Patrick Webber."

Tony pursed his lips together. "Anyone think to check with his squad buddies?"

"Gibbs and Bishop were talking to them now," Tim replied.

"Commanding officer?"

"Said that Webber was a good marine and didn't show any tendencies towards violence."

Tony shook his head. "Obviously he was violent. Look what happened. Hey, while I shower, pull up Kristine Webber's medical file."

Tim nodded. "Got a hunch?"

"Yeah," Tony said as he stalked off towards the shower. "Big one."

* * *

Ellie Bishop was comfortable interrogating, she was married to a lawyer after all, but this was probably the only thing so far on her new job she was comfortable with.

Her ribs still were sore from when the bullet had lodged into her vest. A very ugly, black, purple, and yellowing bruise was in its place. Still, she was learning a lot, especially from Tony. Who, she was told, was not acting like he normally did around probationary agents. He liked to haze probies, play pranks on them, just make their lives miserable. McGee had said it was to toughen them up. He'd survived and Ellie saw how close their friendship was now. But, Tony had been nothing but helpful to her, welcoming even.

After last week's disaster of a shoot out, he'd given her some pointers on how to shoot when taking cover. She was appreciative of that because, like he pointed out, the next time she might not have a vest.

"Corporal Wilkins, thanks for coming in," Gibbs said, starting the interview. "We need to ask you a few questions about Patrick Webber."

"Patrick sir? He's my friend. A damn good marine," Wilkins stated. "Is he in trouble?"

Ellie watched as Gibbs pulled out a photograph of Kristine on the autopsy table. She winced. This was something else she was still trying to get used to on her new job. Being an analyst you hardly ever saw dead bodies. You saw numbers and trails and connections. Not physical people. "His wife is dead," she blurted, noticing Gibbs cock a wary eye at her.

Wilkins looked shocked. "Kristine? That's Kristine? I...you can't even recognize her."

Gibbs nodded. "That's because Patrick beat her to death, beat her to the point that _you_ wouldn't recognize her."

"Patrick did that?"

"Kristine was found dead at a battered woman's shelter, where she'd been living for the past three weeks."

"No way. No way was Patrick a wife beater. He loved Kristine."

Ellie stared down at the photographs that Gibbs had spread out. " _This_ is love?"

Wilkins glared at her. "Agent Bishop, have you ever served overseas? Do you have any idea what it's like over there? We saw things that no one should ever have to see. You don't come back the same."

Gibbs narrowed his eyes on the marine. "Patrick come back different?"

"He was...he was angry all the time."

"Did he seek help?"

"Not to my knowledge."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"Four days ago."

"And how did he seem then?"

"F-fine."

Tony opening the door ended the rapid fire of questions. The SFA stepped inside the interrogation room and eyed Gibbs. "Boss," he said, firmly, "we think we have a lead on where Patrick Webber might have gone."

Gibbs gestured for Bishop to go with him. Wilkins looked relieved, like he had gotten out of questioning. Gibbs chuckled when the door clicked shut. "Oh, no, we're not done just yet, Corporal," he said before engaging in another series of rapid fire questions.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Ellie asked when they got into the Charger.

"Patrick's parents own a farm in Cumberland County. Police were called there a few months ago because of a domestic disturbance," Tony replied. "We pulled Kristine's medical records and she was treated at a local hospital there."

Ellie put her seat belt on and stared out the windshield. "Do you think he went there?"

Tony took a deep breath. "There's a good possibility. Surveillance video from the rest stop shows him abandoning his pick-up truck and then getting into another one. We ran the plates. It's registered to his dad."

"Should we put a BOLO out on his dad's truck?" Ellie asked.

"That's very good, you're starting to think like an agent," Tony said with a smile. "McGee put one out. Hoping to get something."

Ellie settled in for the long ride to Cumberland County. Hopefully they would get something so they could close this case. If they didn't she was pretty sure Kristine Webber's beaten face was going to haunt her for a long time.


	3. Cumberland County

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone is enjoying this so far. If you have already read it on FF, hope you are enjoying it again :)

"Jethro, I apologize," Ducky lamented late in the day. "It appears that Mrs. Webber was not dragged, but rather crawled to that porch."

"How do you know that, Duck?" Gibbs asked, looking down at the body on the slab.

Ducky sighed and held up the woman's hands. They were covered in grass strains and dirt. "Her knees have similar stains as well. This poor woman was trying to get back to the shelter to get help. Have you tracked down her bastard of a husband yet?"

Gibbs shook his head. "His truck was found at a rest stop, and surveillance video puts him getting into his dad's truck. Tony and Bishop were driving to Cumberland County to hopefully bring him in."

Ducky scowled. "It's distasteful what some people will do to others, Jethro. I will never understand how someone can physically hurt the person they claim to love like this. Beatings are not signs of affection. Promise me that when you catch up to him you will not go lightly on him."

"You've been hanging around DiNozzo today, haven't you?"

"No. I haven't seen Anthony since the crime scene, why?"

"Because," Gibbs said before he left, "you sound an awful lot like him right now."

Ducky pursed his lips together. "Anthony, for all his womanizing, would never raise a hand to a woman. He is just as angry as the rest of us about this poor girl's mistreatment."

Gibbs had to agree. Tony may not have treated women with the utmost respect in the past but he sure as hell would never harm one like Kristine Webber's husband had. But, in this case, his anger seemed to stem from something entirely different. "Think his new girlfriend has something to do with it."

"Yes, well, one tends to internalize events like this," Ducky said with a shake of his head. "And Anthony is already terribly protective of Leah."

"He asked me how much I thought it would cost to requisition a Navy Seal team to escort Leah's expedition this summer," Gibbs stated with a smile.

Ducky chuckled and went back to work. "Some see that as a bit extreme, but it is not out of character for our dear boy, Jethro. We are talking about a man who traveled four months overseas to find another woman he loved and cared for. Perhaps he is just afraid of losing Leah like he lost Ziva."

Gibbs knew that his friend spoke the truth. Tony had been through hell the last year and then some. He didn't blame the SFA at all for his overprotective nature where Leah was concerned. He just hoped that Tony's tendency to go a bit too far at times didn't cost him this relationship. There was only so much protectiveness that an independent woman like Leah was going to be able to take. With a sigh he asked Ducky to keep him posted and he left autopsy, heading up to the bullpen in the hopes that later today Tony and Bishop would have some news to report.

* * *

Tony pulled the Charger down a dusty driveway just as the sun was beginning to go down. There was a beat up, rusted, red Ford pick up truck parked out in front of a white farmhouse.

He shut the car down and checked to make sure his weapon was at his side. After that was done he got out of the car and slammed the door shut. Inside the house the curtains parted and he saw a woman's face peer out. She quickly disappeared from his view.

"Do you think he's here?" Bishop asked as they approached the house. "I mean. He has to know we're looking for him."

"Yeah, he's here," Tony said softly, eyes darting about quickly.

Bishop was about to say something when one of the windows shattered and Tony's body was throwing her into the hard, cold ground. In an instant the quiet was disrupted as the two agents were shot at. Tony managed to drag her back to the car and they took cover behind it.

Tony pulled his weapon but he knew that it would be wasted. He couldn't get close enough to the house to make a shot and he didn't want to kill Webber. He wanted to arrest him so he could come in and stand trial for his crimes. What the hell was he going to do? Any move towards the house would get him and Bishop killed, and she was his probie. It was his job to look out for her and make sure she was okay. _Damn it._

Suddenly the roar of an engine came to life as the windshield on the Charger exploded. Tony and Bishop scrambled out of the way of the beat up Ford ramming through their car and making an attempt to speed away. The senior field agent tried to line up a shot to take the tires out but the fading light of day made it difficult. The Ford rumbled down the driveway and out of sight. Tony cursed and turned towards the house. "FEDERAL AGENTS!" he shouted. "And I'm NOW in a shoot first ask questions later kind of mood!"

Bishop uncoiled herself and watched as Tony approached the house, taking cover by various farm equipment along the way.

"Mr. and Mrs. Webber!" Tony yelled, "Come out with your hands up!"

"Please...don't shoot," a timid voice cried out. A woman appeared on the porch, followed by a man. "Please."

"Down on the ground," Tony ordered them. "Hands on your head."

The couple made their way slowly down the steps and got down onto the ground, placing their hands behind their heads. "Bishop," Tony snapped at her, "check them for weapons."

Bishop got up and did so while Tony kept his gun cocked at the pair. She shook her head when she didn't find any. "What are we going to do now?"

"Cuff them," Tony snapped, pulling out his own handcuffs and throwing them towards her. "And then we're going to call the local PD."

"What about Gibbs?"

 _Damn. I didn't think about him,_ Tony thought while he watched her cuff the Webbers. "I'll deal with him."

Bishop looked at their destroyed car. "One more question-how are we going to get back to Washington?"

* * *

Going back to Washington that night was not even an option. Gibbs ordered both Tony and Bishop to stay in Cumberland County. He was going to drive up with McGee over night and join in on the manhunt for Patrick Webber.

Tony had notified every local authority in a fifty mile radius that NCIS was looking for Patrick. It was just a matter of time before he was picked up. For now, Tony and Bishop were forced to stay in a rundown, truck stop motel for the night. He had to laugh at how uncomfortable Ellie looked when she opened the door to her room. Obviously when she had been with the NSA she hadn't had to sleep where ever they could find a bed.

Exhausted, Tony tossed his backpack down by his bed for the evening and flopped onto the seventies, floral looking quilt. God, he wished he could pick up the phone and call Leah. He could really use hearing her voice right now. _Tomorrow,_ a voice in the back of his head whispered, _you get to see her tomorrow._ Of course, that all depended on if they caught Patrick Webber and he made it back to Washington before her flight landed. Groaning, he reached for the remote and turned the television on. It wasn't his state of the art plasma but maybe he could at least find something to keep his mind off this damn case and missing Leah.

He'd just settled on a basketball game when his cell phone buzzed on the bed next to him. He glanced down to see that it was text message, from Leah. _I miss you._

Tony felt a grin spread across his face while he typed back, _I miss you too._


	4. Closing In

Gibbs pushed the Dodge Charger as fast and as furious as it would go. He knew that Tony and Bishop were okay, he'd spoken to Tony on the phone but it didn't stop the cold feelings he got knowing his agents had been shot at.

McGee was trying to sleep, but the boss' reckless driving was preventing him. He clutched tightly to the handle, reminded of how Ziva used to drive-or rather probably still does. It was hard for him at times to grasp that she had just left and not died. Although, with the way she had not gotten in touch with them, well, she might has well have died.

His phone rang in his pocket and McGee answered. Abby was on the other end, babbling happily away. "Abs, slow down."

" _Sorry. I'm just excited. I got the prints back from the rocks the police sent over. Patrick Webber's prints are all over them,"_ Abby said.

"Did you match the murder weapon to the wound?"

" _Yes, Ducky and I did. It was one of the rocks and Patrick Webber is definitely your killer."_

McGee sighed, heavily and closed his eyes, listening as Gibbs pressed the car harder and harder. "Great," he said, "now if we can only find him."

* * *

_Tony! Tony, wake up! Tony?_

_He heard her. Clear as day as if she was in the living room. Slowly he threw the sheets back on his small bed and climbed out. His laptop had been left in the living room, perched open on the coffee table._

_Guess I missed you. Tony shook his head. NO I'm right here. I didn't go anywhere._ _Ziva? Where did you go? He tried to find her, but she was being elusive. He'd hear her calling for him in the apartment but when he went to that certain point, she was no where to be seen, calling for him yet again._

_Tony? Please answer, I really want to see you._ His eyes flew open and it took a moment to adjust to the poorly lit motel room. Tony found himself laying on his side, his laptop next to him, opened to his video chat screen. The familiar twittering of a video call filled the tiny space and he sat up slightly, rubbing his eyes. Why was Ziva calling him now? They hadn't spoken in _months._ It had been her voice he heard, right? And then as he became even more aware of his surroundings, he realized it wasn't her voice, but rather another dream he'd been having.

"Are you there, Tony?" Leah's voice came over the speaker.

"Yes, I'm here," Tony gasped, jabbing his finger down onto the keypad to accept the call.

Leah's face filled his screen. "Hi."

Tony breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn't missed her. "Hi," he said nervously, still shaken that he'd had yet another dream where Ziva and Leah morphed together as one.

Leah smiled, brightly. She was sitting propped up on white pillows that actually looked washed compared to the musty smelling ones he was sleeping on. "I had some free time before my next meeting. And I know it's really early there but...I really wanted to see you. Sorry that I woke you up."

Tony shook his head. "It's fine. You can wake me up anytime, sweetheart."

She got a puzzled expression on her face. "Where are you? You look like you're in that dingy motel from _Vacancy._ "

"Nice movie reference, Ms. Dawson," Tony quipped, grinning, "Have you been practicing?"

"Perhaps. Or I'm still having nightmares from when you made me watch it. You didn't answer me."

"I am in the picturesque country side of Cumberland County, Virginia."

Leah raised her eyebrows in curiosity. "Why are you there? Case?"

Tony sighed and nodded, running a hand through his messy hair. "Yeah. Rather a long story and I'd much rather talk about you and Egypt and all the fun you're having there."

She smiled at him coyly, the one that made his knees go weak if he was standing, sent his heart fluttering. God, this woman knew how to drive him crazy. "It would be more fun if you were here," she said, a flirtatious glint her eyes.

Was she hinting at what he thought she was hinting at? Which, if she was, meant that she was ready too. And why did they have to be separated by an ocean when they came to this realization? Tony returned her smile. "Well, naturally it would be more fun if I was there with you. It would be a hell of a lot more fun if you were here with me in this crappy motel room right now."

"I'm not sure it would be entirely sanitary in that bed," Leah teased.

"Yeah," Tony said looking around the room, sadly, "you're probably right."

"Tony?"

He looked at her expectantly. "Yes?"

She took a deep breath. "I really miss you. I didn't think going away for a week would be so hard."

Tony really wanted to reach through the screen and run his fingers through her hair. She had such a vulnerable look in her eyes, like it had been difficult for her to tell him just how hard it was being away from him. It touched him and broke his heart all at the same time. "I miss you too."

Leah looked down at her lap for a moment. "What are we going to do in the summer? I've been told we're going to get the funding for the team to stay out here for three months. I didn't know that this what I was signing up for when I was offered the job. I mean...don't get me wrong! I'm excited! I want...I want to be here! But...I want to be with you too. Does that make any sense?"

"Does to me," Tony said with shrug. "Listen. I have a lot of vacation time logged. I could take a couple of weeks and come visit you over the summer. And you know, there's the internet so we can video chat. I bet it's going to go by so fast."

"You know for a federal agent you can be a terrible liar."

"Forgive me. It's three in the morning here."

Leah laughed, her eyes sparkling and it just made him miss her all the more. His only saving grace was the thought of having her in his arms tomorrow night. "You're forgiven," she said, smiling. "But only because you're cute."

Tony chuckled. "Well, glad I still have that going for me."

"Yes, you do. My friends think you're sexy too."

"Oh. Really? Can I have their numbers incase this doesn't work out."

"Very funny wise guy."

His cell phone rang, lighting up the room. Tony groaned. "Sorry. It's probably work related. I need to take it." He sighed and reached for the current piece of offensive technology. "Yeah, DiNozzo?"

McGee was on the other end. " _We got a hit on the BOLO. The car Patrick Webber was driving was spotted in North Carolina."_

"North Carolina?"

" _State troopers just called me. They picked up the Ford at one of the blocades you had them set up."_

"Wonderful. What does Gibbs want us to do now?"

" _Meet us outside the motel in twenty minutes. We're going to North Carolina."_

_For the love of everything holy,_ Tony thought angrily. Nothing annoyed him more than a suspect that ran. "Can't the police just bring him up here to us?"

McGee let out a frustrated breath. " _Boss wants to be the one to bring him back to Washington. Think he's afraid that he's going to run again."_

Damnit, if this case prevented him from picking Leah up from the airport he was going to be ripping mad. "Bishop was supposed to get us a rental. I haven't checked in with her yet."

" _Wait, a rental?"_

"Webber destroyed our car. See you in twenty minutes," he said before hanging up. He sighed and looked at Leah. "Duty calls. I'm sorry."

Leah smiled, a sad twinge in her blue eyes. "Don't be. I have to go anyways or I'm going to be late for my meeting. And you have to go save the world." She brought two fingers to her lips, kissed them, and then pressed them to the screen. "See you soon."

Tony copied the loving gesture and smiled at her. "See you soon."

 


	5. More of a Man

Fixing his sweatshirt, Tony knocked on Bishop's motel door. Gibbs was going to be there any moment and he wouldn't be happy if they had to wait for her. Surprisingly she came to the door, fully dressed. Tony looked at her suspiciously. "Did you sleep like that?"

Bishop gave him a disgusted look. "I was not about to let my skin touch whatever...whatever is in that bed. So, yes, I slept with my whole body covered."

"Well, it's time to roll," Tony said, just as the Charger tore into the motel parking lot. "Webber's in North Carolina."

"North Carolina? We have to drive some more?" Bishop whined. "Why can't the police bring him to us?"

Tony laughed and shrugged. "Gibbs doesn't trust them, apparently. Come on, it will be fun. Consider it another chance for us to bond on the drive, that is, if you got us a rental."

Bishop pointed towards a black, Chevy Malibu. "I did. You had already gone to bed so I didn't want to wake you up."

"Nice work, Probie," Tony praised her, gesturing for the keys.

"Am I ever going to get to drive?"

"I am the senior field agent and as your-"

Bishop rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and as my senior field agent you get to do the driving."

Tony grinned. "Oh, so you've heard this before."

"Only every time we get in the car to go somewhere."

Gibbs approached them, his blue eyes were filled with intensity, and Tony knew if they didn't close this case today it was going to be a long, long week. "State police just contacted us again. They found something interesting in the back of the truck."

Tony looked between McGee and Gibbs. "What exactly did they find?"

McGee pursed his lips together. "Blood."

"Blood?" Bishop repeated. "Do they have any idea whose?"

"Not yet. We're going to take a sample once we get there."

Tony shook his head. "Boss, come on, Patrick Webber's parents are farmers. It could be animal blood for all we know."

Gibbs glared at him. "Listen, I know you want to close this case fast. Trust, me, I get it. But I'm not going to turn a blind eye to this, DiNozzo. We're going to take a sample and bring it back to Abby. If it turns out that it's only animal blood even better for us."

As luck would have it, Tony had a sneaky suspicion where this blood was going to lead them-not to the close of the case. It was never easy, especially for their team. They hadn't earned their reputation by closing simple cases after all. Sighing, Tony nodded his head, and frowned. "Yeah, you're right, sorry boss. It's...it's late, or well actually, extremely early in the morning and I'm tired."

"Let's go then," Gibbs said moving back towards the Charger with McGee. "Carolina's calling our name!"

* * *

Gibbs watched as Tony paced the small interrogation room. McGee and Bishop were processing the truck, gathering up the blood samples that he wanted Abby to test and then arranging for the vehicle to be brought back to NCIS. The team leader and SFA were waiting for the police to bring in their suspect. He couldn't decide if Tony was pacing because he was anxious or bored or perhaps just trying to stay awake. "You talk to Leah recently?"

Tony stopped his pacing and glanced at Gibbs. "Last night. She video called to tell me she missed me."

"Don't let this one go, Tony," Gibbs said with a sad smile. "Think she might be the one."

"Boss? What are you talking about?" Tony questioned, although he was certain he knew the answer.

"She might be Ms. Right. She has all those qualities you told Ziva about."

_What could this Ms. Right possibly see in you?_ Tony winced at that memory. He didn't have much of an answer back then and he wasn't sure he had much of one now. "She is...well...she could be Ms. Right. But, boss...am I...am I the one for her? I mean...well...I don't have a great track record with women, let's face it. And...commitment...I'm kind of winging it here boss."

Gibbs chuckled. "DiNozzo that girl video called you, in the middle of the day in Egypt when she could have been out studying the things she loves. I might be an idiot myself when it comes to love but I think...perhaps...you're the one for her."

Tony didn't get to respond. The door opened and the officers dragged their suspect in, hands cuffed behind his back, the mood in the room changed. Tony could feel it. Before, while they were waiting there was a sense of exhaustion, but now there was a feeling of malice and disgust for this man. Shockingly he didn't look like a wife beater at all to Tony. Clean cut, tall, good looking-wearing a nice button down shirt and jeans.

Patrick Webber was led to a chair across from Gibbs and gingerly sat down in it. Gibbs gave the marine his infamous stare before speaking. "Do you know why you're here, Lance Corporal Webber?"

"Yes sir," Webber mumbled, wincing at the bright lights of the room. "This is about Kristine."

"So, you know your wife is dead," Gibbs stated, dryly.

"Yes, sir. I do."

"Care to explain why your prints were found all over the murder weapon?"

Webber kept his mouth shut. He adverted his eyes and refused to look at the two agents. It was obvious he knew he was in trouble and there appeared, to him at least, no reason to speak.

Tony leaned back against the cool concrete wall and crossed his arms over his chest. "You're not helping yourself, Lance Corporal, by keeping your mouth shut."

"Maybe I should talk to a lawyer," Webber whispered.

"Oh, yeah, you're gonna need one," Gibbs said, with a sarcastic drawl.

Tony heard the dark, low tone to Gibbs' voice. It was the one he got just before he went off on a suspect. He clenched his fists by his side. Why did he have to play the good cop in this situation? He wanted to strangle the bastard just as much as Gibbs did. "You hit her pretty hard, Corporal Webber, with that rock. Guess you were pretty angry huh?"

Webber glared at him. "Are you married, sir?"

"No. I'm not."

"Then you have no idea how difficult it really can be."

"Are you trying to justify beating the woman you claimed to love?"

He looked away again and set his jaw. "I want a lawyer, sir. I'm not saying anything else until I speak to one."

Tony glared at their suspect. Too bad corporal punishment was frowned upon. Because he really would like to use the man as a punching bag to vent his frustrations like he'd used the trainer yesterday.

Gibbs must have seen the dark, menacing look in his eyes and ordered Tony to step out of the room. When the SFA was gone, he turned towards Webber. "You realize that you're looking at twenty-five years to life-in a military prison no less. If you don't speak up now and tell me what happened I won't be able to help you."

Webber shrugged his shoulders. "Seems like you already know what happened."

"Officers are going to bring you out to our car," Gibbs said, standing up. "Long way back to D.C, might want to call that lawyer first."

The former marine swiftly left the room and found Tony in the hall, pinching the bridge of his nose. Gently he reached out and shook him. "Hey," he whispered, "You okay?"

Tony's eyes snapped up to look at his boss. "No. I keep...I keep thinking about Kristine and how...how could she fall in love with someone like that? Someone that treated her like...like dirt. I can't even imagine raising a hand to Leah, boss!"

Gibbs nodded his head. "That's what makes you more of a man than that marine in there."

"You know, guess that was one of the things the old man taught me," Tony mumbled. "I just...I could never bring myself to hit her. It's not a sign of love."

"Boss," McGee said coming into the hall. "We pulled the blood samples. Truck is being towed back to Washington."

Gibbs let got of Tony, searched the SFA's face for a moment, and then turned towards McGee. "Guess we should be doing the same then. Tony is a love-struck school boy and needs to get back to D.C in time to pick Leah up from the airport."

 


	6. Nothing is Simple

Tony might have been considered a lovesick school boy and exhausted from the long day of driving from North Carolina to Washington, but he was still at the airport twenty minutes before Leah's flight was scheduled to land.

He had grabbed a shower in the locker room at NCIS, changed into a clean pair of jeans, tee-shirt and sweatshirt. Now, he was waiting outside of the security checkpoint for Leah. She had texted him a few moments ago that the flight had landed and they were making their way to the gate.

Despite his tired state the thought of seeing her, holding her, being close to her, sent his heart racing and his adrenaline rushing. It was no secret how difficult the separation had been-for both of them. He was dreading when he dropped her off at the airport in June, sending her away for three months while he was back here in Washington. Tony shoved his hands into his pockets and tired to focus on the time that they did have together. Because that was all he had control over at this point.

Leah emerged from the crowd of passengers, black carry-on bag slung over her shoulder and she smiled when she saw him. Her eyes lit up and she rushed at him, throwing her arms around him and pulled him in for a kiss.

"Wow, if this is the kind of greeting I get when we've only been apart a week-I can't wait to see what it's going to be after three months," Tony said with a grin. "Shall we get your bags?"

"Yes, I'm ready to get out of here," Leah said, grabbing his hand while they walked.

Tony smiled down at her, his eyes reflecting the desire in hers. "Yeah. Me too."

Leah leaned into him as he took her bag from her and carried it through the airport towards baggage claim. It was funny how a week away had made her feel _closer_ to him. And now, while he got her suitcase and led her out to his car, she was more than happy to be that physically close to him.

Tony didn't seem to mind it at all, pressing his lips to hers when he opened the car door for her, enjoying the warmth of her body next to his. It only made him excited in anticipation of what was surely going to happen. Thank God the case had pretty much been closed and Gibbs had let them go home. Because he wasn't sure he would have been able to survive a night knowing that Leah was back in Washington and he couldn't be with her. _Sometimes_ , he thought as he got into the car and slammed the door shut, _the job isn't so bad_.

"I missed you," she purred, gently running her fingers up his arm.

He shivered, involuntarily at her touch, and turned to gaze at her. "Oh yeah?"

Leah nodded. "Uh-huh. Did you miss me?"

Tony responded by grabbing her face between his hands and kissing her, hungrily. In the blink of an eye he was tugging her blazer off, tossing it down into the back seat of his car, never breaking contact with her mouth. They only broke apart briefly when she pulled his sweatshirt over his head and discarded it in the same way that he'd done to her blazer. Lord, he loved how she tasted, how she smelled, and it was so intoxicating that he damn well was ready to pull her into the back seat and just have his way with her, because by the way she was kissing him and allowing him to undo the buttons on her blouse, told him she was alright with that as well.

And then his phone rang. Tony cursed and found it in his pocket. "Yeah," he panted, "DiNozzo."

" _Why are you so out of breath?_ " McGee asked, curiously.

"Doing cardio," Tony replied with a teasing smile at Leah. "What's up?"

" _Abby just called. Blood we pulled from the bed of Mr. Webber's truck was not animal."_ _  
_

Tony flopped back against the driver's seat. He should have known that this case was not going to go away over night. "Whose blood was it, McGee?"

McGee cleared his throat before slowly responded, " _Kristine Webber's."_

Cursing, he glanced at Leah, who was looking at him expectantly. Tony could feel a thousand different emotions running through him at that moment. He just wanted to go back to her apartment, wanted to make love to her and forget about the last two days. Of course, it seemed that the sun, the moon, and the stars needed to be aligned for this to happen. He sighed. "I'll be there as soon as I drop Leah off at her apartment."

" _I'm really sorry, Tony,"_ his partner apologized, sheepishly. " _If it makes you feel better I was hoping to spend the night with Delilah."_

_No, it doesn't make me feel better, you've already slept with her,_ Tony shouted in his head. Instead of yelling at McGee he quickly said a good-bye and looked at Leah. What the hell was he supposed to say to her? She had been anticipating this reunion as much as he had been and now he was skipping out on her for the job.

She offered him a tender smile. "It's okay, Tony."

"It is?"

"Do you really think our first time should be in the back seat of your car like a couple of high-schoolers?"

"No," he said with a teasing grin, "but it would have been fun."

Leah leaned over and gently took his face between her hands. Pressing her lips to his in a tender, almost tantalizing kiss, she pulled back and whispered, "Don't worry, Tony- we'll get there."

Tony closed his eyes and sighed. "I know," he said, softly. And then with one last kiss, he pulled back, started the car up and headed towards her apartment where, sadly, he wasn't going to be spending the night with her. _Sometimes this job really sucks._

* * *

"He's really going to kill me," Tim groaned while he got his coat on.

"Why?" Delilah asked, looking at him puzzled. "It's not your fault that you have a case to close."

Tim pocketed his cell phone and looked at her incredulously. "Leah's been gone a week. He was picking her up from the airport and I'm pretty sure I just interrupted something, if you catch my drift."

Delilah grinned, wickedly. "Oh. I see. Well, at least he's exploring that part of his relationship. Seems to me we've stopped exploring that, haven't we Tim?"

"Listen, I just think...we need more time, you know. Besides, you've only been home a few weeks," Tim said, nervously.

"Tim, I just can't move my legs anymore. That doesn't mean I can't do...other things."

"I know...that."

Delilah frowned at him. "Do you? Because ever since I've been home you're been reluctant to touch me unless I need help getting in and out of my wheelchair. It kind of makes me feel like I'm no longer attractive to you, Tim."

Tim shook his head furiously. "I swear, Delilah, you're still attractive to me. It's just..."

"Different, now. I know you say that all the time."

"I hate do this but I really I have to go. Perhaps we can finish this conversation later?"

Delilah sighed and waved her hand. "Yeah. Go on."

Tim could see the hurt in her eyes. God, he didn't want her to think that he believed her to be unattractive now or that he thought she was less attractive because she was paralyzed. He just...he just didn't know how they were supposed to go about being intimate. It struck him, as he was leaving, that him and Tony were having similar, yet vastly different problems. And while he knew that Tony was probably going to work out his problem by the end of the week, Tim wasn't sure where to even begin to work out his own.

 


	7. Another Problem

Gibbs watched from observation as Patrick Webber sat in a chair, silently staring at the wall in front of him. The young man had been silent the entire way back to Washington and now that Abby had confirmed that the blood found in Mr. Webber's truck was indeed Kristine's the team leader was beginning to get a clearer picture as to why.

Behind him he heard the door to observation open and glanced over to see Ducky enter. "Hey, Duck," he greeted. "Did you get a chance to do that profile for me?"

Ducky nodded his head. "Indeed I did. I went over all your interviews with his friends and fellow marines. I also read his CO's letters. By all intents and purposes, Patrick Webber was an excellent marine."

"But?"

"But...being a good marine and being a good man are two different things, entirely, Jethro," Ducky pointed out. "This man was brutal to his wife. There are numerous reports to the MP's at the base they lived at. Several reports of domestic disturbances at his parents' farm in Virginia. He was beating his wife long before he shipped overseas to defend our country."

Gibbs glanced through the glass again. "He won't talk to me, Ducky. And with this loophole of Kristine's blood in the father's truck I _need_ his confession."

Ducky nodded his head. "Yes of course. This is a defense lawyer's dream. But you still have the finger prints on the rock that killed her, that should be enough, no?"

"Yeah, we have his prints, not sure it's enough," Gibbs replied, sighing.

"Before we had the blood sample it would have been easy. Now, the blood in the truck poses reasonable doubt."

"Reasonable doubt can go far in court. Webber's smart, he knows that keeping his mouth shut is his get out of jail free card."

The medical examiner frowned. "Can we charge him with anything?"

Gibbs sighed, heavily. "Obstruction. That's about it."

"It's hardly justice for that poor girl," Ducky muttered.

"Yeah," Gibbs whispered in agreement. "I know."

He watched Webber some more before leaving the observation room. Standing there, doing nothing was not going to change the situation. He needed to go out and work, go out and get that justice for Kristine.

* * *

By seven the next morning the team was no where closer to closing this case. Tony had managed to get some sleep in autopsy, on one of the empty tables. He'd been woken up by Jimmy Palmer coming in for the day, surprised to find the SFA had spent the entire night at NCIS.

Tony had left autopsy feeling all the aches and pains in his muscles from sleeping on a cold, hard slab, _and_ making a double date with Palmer and Breena later that week. Provided of course, that the team closed the case. _  
_

However, the chances of them closing the case were looking very slim. They couldn't explain why Kristine's blood had been in the bed of Mr. Webber's pick up truck but it was her husband's prints on the murder weapon. Tony supposed there was a chance that Patrick had called his father, in a panic that he'd beaten Kristine nearly to death and together they had brought her back to the battered women's shelter where she crawled to the porch.

"Where's Gibbs?" Abby asked coming into the squad room.

"Interviewing Mrs. Webber," Tony replied, "Why?"

"We have a problem."

Tony frowned at her. This entire case was a problem. "You mean another one? Because I'm pretty sure that Kristine's blood showing up in her father-in-law's truck is a pretty big problem."

Abby sighed. "I went back and re-ran the prints on the murder weapon. I got _two_ hits this time."

"Two?"

"Two. Patrick Webber and his father. Mr. Webber's prints are in the system now because he was booked yesterday."

He dropped his head to his desk just as the elevator signaled someone's arrival. _Why can't things just be easy for once?_ Tony thought, bitterly. It looked like this was going to be another long day and night. _So much for my date tonight._

Something was put on his desk next to his head and he instantly smelled a hazelnut latte. "I brought you something," Leah's voice echoed sweetly above him. "Figured you were going to need it."

Tony lifted his head and smiled at her. He stood and moved around his desk, gently kissing her cheek. "I thought you'd be home sleeping right now."

"Guess I'm still on Egyptian time," Leah said with a smile.

"Well, I for one am glad that you are," Tony said, grinning at her like a giddy schoolgirl.

"Whoa, Timmy was right," Abby said as she walked away, "you are head over heels."

Tony glared at her back as she left but then he felt Leah slip her hand into his and give it a squeeze. He turned towards her, using their interlocked fingers to pull her towards him. He gently kissed her on top of the head. "Don't suppose that coffee has the answers to this case so we can go out tonight?"

Leah shook her head. "No. Sorry. It's just your favorite. But maybe it will stimulate your brain cells and you'll figure it out."

"I'm beginning to think that you're too good for me, Ms. Dawson." _  
_

"Why? Because I bring you coffee?"

He placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her towards he elevator. They got in together and he pressed the button for the lobby. "I should be taking care of you, after all, you just got back from a transatlantic flight."

She shook her head. "You know this taking care of one another business works both ways, right? I got to go home and sleep for a while, you've been here all night working. So I knew you'd need some coffee. Cori was worried when she told me she hadn't seen you in a few days. Why is it so hard for you to accept that people care about you, Tony?"

 _You are so...loved._ His heart fluttered, ever so slightly. Was it possible? Did she love him? Because, he was quite certain he was falling in love with her. Tony eyed her for a moment and then he reached out and flicked the emergency stop switch. He chuckled when the look of confusion crossed her face. "If you're going to start to hang out around here, you better get used to this."

"Of course, that's assuming I have reason to hang out around here," she said, smiling whimsically.

"Why did you really come? It wasn't just to bring me coffee."

Leah swallowed, anxiously. "I wanted to see you."

Tony raised one eyebrow and smiled, confidently at her. His free hand reached out and hooked her around her small waist, pulling her closer to him. He soaked in the scent of her; she smelled like honey and lilies, fresh and springy. "Couldn't wait until tonight, huh?"

"We haven't seen each other in a week. And I barely got to see you last night. Do you think that was enough?" she whispered, noting how close his lips were to hers.

"Oh, it absolutely wasn't enough," he said, pulling her in for a kiss.

Tony had kissed lots of women before, held lots of women close before, and at some point he was sure that some of those women had made him feel light headed, dizzy while kissing them. Although, at the present time, while her mouth opened to his and he deepened their kiss, his hands weaving their way through her hair, he couldn't recall any. When she broke the kiss, both of them breathing a bit heavier, he didn't much care for trying to recall past lovers and how they made him feel. Gently he reached out and tucked Leah's hair behind her ears and sighed, "Are you ever going to tell me how you learned to kiss like that?"

Leah smiled. "Mmmm, when I was an undergrad—frat boys were always willing to help me perfect my craft."

"Ah, that makes sense."

"Did you help pretty co-eds perfect their craft?"

"Maybe they helped me perfect mine."

"I bet they did."

He laughed even as his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. Closing his eyes briefly he reached for it and answered. "Hey, boss."

Gibbs didn't sound happy at all. " _Did I hear Abby correctly? Our murder weapon has_ two _sets of prints?"_

 _"_ Actually it has three but she matched two- Corporal Webber and his father."

" _DiNozzo...you take McGee and get back over to that woman's shelter and show those women Mr. Webber's photo."_

Tony was about to answer when the boss hung up on him. With a slight shake of his head, he reactivate the elevator and sighed at Leah, "I'll walk you out."

Behind him, the elevator doors opened and he stepped aside to let her out first, gently putting his hand on the small of her back. Leah felt a shiver run up her spine from his touch and it took all her energy to focus on walking towards her car, even though Tony was talking to her about the date that he'd agreed to with Palmer and Breena later that week. Fishing out her keys, she unlocked her car and reached for the door. Tony beat her to it and opened it for her, his lips brushing against her temple, "See you tonight?"

Leah's pulse raced. What was going on with her? She taught in front of lecture halls of students and she never felt this jittery. Pressure was her middle name. She should be able to keep her cool around him, yet his proximity to her was making her weak in the knees. It wasn't fair that they'd been interrupted last night. It had taken them so long to get to the point of being ready to be intimate. It was like some cruel joke that this case seemed to be forcing them to wait even longer. She turned slightly to see him smiling at her, softly. "I hope so…if you're lucky enough to close this case."

"Well, here's hoping I get _lucky,_ " Tony, responded, green eyes shining brightly. With one last, feather like kiss on her lips, he left her side, "Ciao bella."


	8. The Never Ending Case

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the wait!

Tony couldn't help but notice the black cloud that seemed to be hanging around his partner. He'd noticed it since last night and at first thought it had something to do with how tired the team was-but he knew for a fact Tim had grabbed a few hours of sleep on the futon in Abby's lab. He was also being uncharacteristically quiet on this drive out to _Safe Haven._

"You alright, McGee?" Tony asked, softly as they pulled off the highway. "You've got this gloom and doom attitude about you."

"Nothing, just...just relationship problems with Delilah," Tim muttered, not bothering to look at his partner.

Tony drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. He probably was not the best person to offer up any kind of advice to the younger man, but he hated to see his partner so down. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Tim shook his head. "Not really. It's kind of...it's kind of personal."

"Ok-I get it. But if you need to talk-I'm here to listen," Tony reminded him.

"I'm just not as good with women as you are," Tim blurted, suddenly.

Tony was completely confused. When had he ever been good with women? As far as he knew it was Tim that had gotten the serious girlfriend before him and was doing a better job at this commitment thing than he was. "What are you talking about, Tim?"

Tim shook his head fiercely."Delilah...she thinks...she thinks that I don't find her attractive anymore because we haven't...well you know...since she...she came home. I don't suppose your...support group...has advice for this kind of thing."

"No...but have you thought about going to a support group for _your_ situation?"

"What?"

"Come on, Tim. There has to be a support group out there for people who have suffered these kinds of injuries and for their families."

Tim leaned his head back and sighed. "The rehab center gave us some information when we left...but, well...I haven't had time to look at it yet. Do you think I should?"

Tony threw him an incredulous look. " _Yes._ "

"You don't think I'm a horrible...boyfriend...do you?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Tim."

"I'm not being ridiculous. I'm making my girlfriend feel like she's unattractive."

Tony turned the car down towards the battered women's shelter. He sighed, "Alright, here's what you're gonna do-you're going to make reservations at the _Rooftop Grill._ Give her a reason to get all dressed up, a romantic dinner for two-flowers, the works, Tim. You need to pull out all the stops."

Tim nodded his head. "All the stops. Got it. What if...what if we're still not comfortable with..."

"Sex?"

"Yeah."

"At least she'll know you still think she's attractive, worth the effort."

Parking the car, Tony shut it down and turned to Tim in the front seat. He put a hand on his partner's shoulder. "Listen. I'm learning that this serious relationship thing is a roller coaster of a ride. You're going to have ups and downs."

Tim chuckled, sarcastically. "What kind of downs could you possibly be experiencing right now? You just met Leah, just started this relationship. It's still in the phase where things are pretty damn good."

Tony's eyes softened. "She's going away-for _three_ months. I barely survived a week without her. I was plagued by nightmares of her dying in Saleem's camp. Why? Because when she's gone everything is out of my control."

"Oh great...you're not going to go all crazy on us again are you?" Tim cracked, trying to lighten the mood.

"I don't know...I might."

"Wow. You're in love with her, aren't you?"

Tony looked away. He was thankful that his sunglasses were hiding his eyes right now, because he was sure they were reflecting his anxiousness. He'd been wrestling with those thoughts since Leah had left. But it was terrifying to admit it out loud because falling in love was such a big step for him. Deciding that he did not want to answer the question, he simply deflected by getting out of the car and thus, ending their conversation.

Tim followed him, buttoning up his trench coat against the cold air. He wasn't surprised that Tony ended their conversation when he'd brought up the question of love-after all it was in Tony's nature to deflect those kinds of questions. And Tim knew not to be offended, but he was a tiny bit curious to the answer. Now, however, wasn't the time to push to get that answer. They had a job to do and Tony had to come to the conclusion on his own if he was in love with Leah or not.

"Ms. Philips," Tony greeted when the director of the center opened the door, "We need to ask a few more questions."

"I had to relocate five girls because of you people," Philips snapped. "What more can they tell you?"

"Have you seen this man around here before?" Tony inquired, holding up a photo of Mr. Webber.

Phillips frowned. "Yeah. That's Kristine's father-in-law. He would stop by and try to convince her to go back to Patrick. Last time he was here...maybe a day before Kristine was killed. Why do you need to know?"

Tony glanced at Tim, fleetingly. "Kristine's blood was found in the back of his truck. We're trying to tie up some loose ends."

"You think her father-in-law had something to do with this?"

"It's possible."

"No way. Kristine was murdered by her husband. I had to have the cops come and remove him from the property before."

Tony sighed and put his phone away. "Listen, Ms. Phillips. In order to get a conviction we need to connect the dots here. When Mr. Webber was here did he ever seem threatening to Kristine in any way?"

Phillips shook her head. "No. He seemed...well...he seemed in denial about his son. Like he couldn't believe he beat his wife."

"We'll be in touch," Tony told the woman and she slammed the door in his face.

"Denial...it's possible that Patrick called his dad in a panic. Mr. Webber helped him bring Kristine back to the shelter," Tim mused.

"We need to pull Patrick's phone records again. And Mr. Webber's."

Tim opened the passenger door to the sedan. "What are we looking for?"

Tony took a deep breath before getting into the car. "Proof that father and son met up before the rest stop."

* * *

Making that connection was a lot easier than Tony had anticipated. Bishop got to work right away on looking at both Patrick and Frank's phone records and found that they had been in contact frequently the day of the murder. But he barely got to tell Gibbs before Tony was quickly thrown back into the thick of things by the boss ordering him to tag along to an interrogation.

Gibbs swung the door to interrogation open and stepped inside, Tony on his heels. "Mr. Webber. It appears you haven't been entirely honest with us, sir."

Frank Webber looked up at the two federal agents. "I'm not sure I know what you're talking about, Agent Gibbs."

"You told me you hadn't seen Kristine since the police were called to your farm when Patrick beat her up," Gibbs said, taking a seat.

"That is the last time I saw her."

"Not according to the woman who runs the shelter Kristine was living at," Tony said, huskily. "She said you stopped by the day before Kristine was killed."

Frank's eyes shifted back and forth between Gibbs and Tony. They could smell blood, and he knew it. "Yes. I stopped by. Kristine...she wasn't...she wasn't giving him a chance! He changed when he got back from Iraq. He just needed some help."

Tony pulled out something from the manilla folder he was holding underneath his arm. "Kristine filed _three_ reports of abuse prior to your son's first deployment. It seems, Mr. Webber, that your son was abusive before his time in Iraq."

"He's a good boy, Agent Gibbs," Frank cried, turning towards the lead agent. "He didn't understand what he was doing."

"Didn't understand?" Tony repeated. "He beat her with a rock. A rock that your prints were found on. Care to explain that?"

"Mr. Webber. I'm going to be honest with you," Gibbs said, harshly. "Either your son is going away for murder or you _both_ are."

Frank snapped his mouth shut. "I want to talk to a lawyer."

Gibbs stood with a shake of his head. Together the two agents made their way out of the room, Gibbs slamming the door shut. He turned towards his SFA. "Bishop manage to pull anything from Frank Webber's phone records?"

Tony nodded. "Yeah. There were three phone calls the night of the murder. McGee was able to trace what cell towers were used to make the call. Frank was twenty minutes away from the battered woman's shelter when Patrick called him the last time."

"Son of bitch-his father was there when he beat her," Gibbs said. "He witnessed the murder."

"Now he's trying to cover for his son," Tony guessed. "Can we charge both of them?"

"Don't see why not," Gibbs said, walking away, "his prints are on the rock too."

"One problem boss."

"Yeah? What?"

"Where the hell are the clothes Patrick was wearing?"

"Better start looking for them," Gibbs said with a smile.

Tony groaned. This was turning out to be the never-ending case and he just needed it to be over.

 


	9. Happy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay!

Miles upon miles of secluded road searched behind them, Tony was sure his feet were covered in blisters, and they still hadn't found the clothes. They had searched Webber's apartment, sent local police to search the Webbers' farm-and so far nothing. Now Gibbs had them pounding the pavement up and down the road that Patrick would have driven to get away from the crime scene.

Tony knew how close they were to nailing the two men. If only they could find the clothes.

"So, I made those reservations for the _Rooftop,"_ McGee informed him, breaking his concentration briefly.

"Great. When are you taking her?" Tony asked, still searching for the missing clothes.

McGee kept a steady pace behind Tony. "Friday. She...well she seemed happy but nervous at the same time. You know the last time we...we dressed up was the night of the gala."

Tony paused and turned to glance at Tim. "You just have to keep her mind off of that."

"Yeah? How do you suggest I do that?"

"Here. Call someone that might be able to help."

McGee caught Tony's cell phone in midair and looked at him, confused. "Who exactly do you want me to call?"

Tony smiled and went back to work. "Call Leah. She's probably better suited to answer questions about a woman than I am."

While his partner was busy on the phone with his girlfriend, Tony kept looking for the clothes that Patrick Webber had to have been wearing when he killed his wife. They would be covered in blood. Abby was testing his shoes, along with Frank's to determine if both suspects were at the crime scene but a defense attorney could still argue that Patrick didn't commit the crime his father did and vice versa. They needed the clothes to prove their case that Patrick beat Kristine and called his father to help him transport her back to the shelter where she died.

Currently they were walking the last possible route that Patrick could have taken away from the shelter towards the rest stop. He had to have ditched the clothes somewhere that cameras wouldn't catch him. Daylight was starting to fade and Tony was certain he was going to miss his date.

"Hey," McGee called behind him, "your girlfriend wants to talk to you. Something about your date tonight?"

"Yeah, yeah, just give me a second," Tony called back, climbing over a guard rail. He slipped on some gloves and gingerly made his way down the slope.

By the time McGee caught up to him, Tony was already climbing back up the slope, something in his hand. "Tell her it might still be on," he said with a grin. He held up a plastic shopping bag. Inside was a pair of blood covered jeans and a sweatshirt.

* * *

Gibbs, surprisingly sent them all home that night. It would be a few hours before Abby had the results in on the blood that was found on the clothes. And he could see that the team was exhausted.

Tony had grabbed some take out from a local Thai place and met Leah at his apartment. He had every intention for the evening to go in a different direction than it did, but after they had dinner and she offered to clean up-he fell asleep on the sofa.

He only knew that because Leah was shaking him awake, calling to him in a worried voice. He blinked open his eyes to find her standing over him, her eyes a mixture of concern and sorrow. "You were having a bad dream," she told him, softly, then smoothing his hair back she took a deep breath. "You cried out for Ziva."

_Damn it._ Tony now understood her look. He swallowed the nervous bile in his throat. "I keep...I keep having these dreams with her...with her in them."

"And do you have dreams about her often?" Leah asked, a defensive tone to her voice.

"Not often ...well, they didn't really start until she went away and then they picked back up when you went to Cairo," Tony stuttered.

Leah's eyes flashed with anger. "Oh," she said, reaching for her coat. "I see."

Tony got up, desperate to make her understand that the dreams meant nothing, that in one of them it was _her_ that died instead of Ziva, but he just ended up fumbling over his words some more, "Leah, don't go, please. They're dreams...they don't...they don't mean anything! You're in them too if that makes you feel better!"

"Feel better? How is that going to make me feel better? And just so you know there are studies that show dreams do have some kind of meaning," Leah snapped, opening the door to his apartment.

"You're being ridiculous," Tony snapped back, reaching out and slamming his door shut. "It's just a dream."

"Maybe I am being ridiculous, but you're dreaming about a woman you were in love with. Maybe a woman you're still in love with."

Tony sighed, angrily. "Well, it's not like I can be with that woman now is it?" Immediately he regretted the words and wanted to take them back. But he couldn't. He'd said them and now he was going to have to pay the consequences.

Leah's eyes filled with tears as she pushed his arm away from the door and opened it. She turned to go, managing somehow to keep some form of control on her emotions and whimpered, "I can't compete with her Tony. I just...can't. If you want this to last-you need to let her go-for good."

She was gone before he could react, gone before he could say another word. Tony stood there for the longest time, her words a knife in his heart. But she was right. He had to finally let Ziva go-forever. He just wasn't sure how to do it. He turned on his heel and pressed his back into his door. Closing his eyes tightly he wondered how everything had gone from being perfect to being such a mess.

Across the room his cell phone buzzed. Tony opened his eyes and pushed himself off the door towards the coffee table, where the phone was resting.

Picking it up he hoped it was a text from Leah, but instead it was Abby. _Got the results back! And you're going to be happy! Blood is a match! Case closed!_

Tony sighed as he grabbed his gear. If only he could feel happy but right now he felt nothing but like a screw-up.

 


	10. Fight For Her

" _D.C Beans?_ You didn't go to _Capital Coffeehouse?_ " Leah's graduate T.A asked when she showed up for her lecture that morning.

"I needed a change," Leah lied, putting her bag down on the desk.

Meghan Carr looked her friend seriously in the eye. Leah hadn't changed her coffee shop since she had started to date Tony; her sudden change meant there was trouble in paradise. "Uh-oh, you and Tony have a fight or something?"

Leah slid out her laptop and began to hook it up to the projector. "Really not in the mood to talk about it, Meg."

"You're not about to pull the _I'm a professor, you're a T.A_ crap just to get out of talking to me are you?" Meghan asked, leaning against the table. "Seriously, Lee, we're the same age. I didn't go to school until late because I did the whole get married and have kids thing. And we've been friends for a long time. Now-speak to me."

"It just…I don't think it's going to work out between us, okay?" Leah snapped as the door to the lecture hall opened and students began to come in.

Meghan eyed her suspiciously. She remembered when Tony had first asked Leah out, their first date, how much she said she liked him. He was the first guy in a long time that she had actually felt positive about. What the hell had happened? "I thought you really liked him?"

Leah glared at her, on the verge of angry tears. "Yeah," she rasped as she called up her presentation. "I do. He just doesn't feel the same way about me."

"And you know this because?"

"He's still in love with another woman."

"He told you that?"

"No. But I can tell."

"You always do this, Lee, look for the bad and run," Meghan said with a shrug of her shoulders. "I'm thinking you really don't want to find _the one_ after all."

Leah wanted to just burst into tears, right then and there. She hadn't been able to sleep the night before and her jet lag had finally caught up with her. But she had a lecture hall full of students and a presentation to give. Swallowing her tears and her emotions, she started. It was best to just shut down and go through the motions that way she wouldn't feel a thing.

* * *

It really hurt that Friday morning, Tony realized. It hurt that he could help McGee in his own relationship but kept screwing up his own.

Tony was trying to play it cool, like nothing was bothering him, but McGee kept talking about his date that night and that Leah was going over to help Delilah get ready-and just the mere mention of Leah's name threatened to tear down the walls.

He did a pretty good job avoiding everyone that day, disappearing when anyone else entered the bullpen, avoiding all conversation and just citing that he was very, very tired. Which was partly the truth because he hadn't gotten much sleep in the last few days thanks to this case. But it was not the whole truth.

Gibbs seemed to be on to him. Tony caught him looking and studying him when the SFA was in the bullpen working. He got a sneaky feeling the team leader knew something was up and it was the whole reason he sent Tony into interrogation with Bishop, to observe him some more in action.

"Mr. Webber, we found the clothes that Patrick was wearing the night of the murder," Bishop said, gently. "It's not looking good for him."

"There's still time for you, though," Tony said, darkly, from the corner. "You're looking at the difference between an obstruction charge and a murder charge."

Frank shook his head. "My lawyer says that the murder charge will never stick."

Tony got up from the wall he was leaning against and went to stand right behind Bishop's chair. "Yeah, of course he'd say that-it's what he's paid to do."

"Agent DiNozzo," the lawyer snapped, "there's no need for sarcasm."

"Fine. You might want to tell your client that it's in his best interest to talk to us," Tony snapped back.

The lawyer sized Tony up for a moment before speaking. "Listen, we've agreed to the ridiculous terms of assault for firing at federal agents, but Mr. Webber is not about to flip on his son."

Tony narrowed his eyes at Frank. "So, he admits that he was there that night?"

Frank's eyes went wide, so didn't the lawyer's. Both were now aware that Tony had set up a careful little trap. With a defeated look on his face the lawyer leaned over and whispered something in Frank's ear, when he pulled back, Frank heaved a shuddering breath. "Yes," he said, "I was there. Patrick asked me to take him to see Kristine."

"But she wasn't at the shelter," Bishop said, matter-of-factly. "You left deciding to come back on another day but you saw her walking near a new development being built."

"Yes. Patrick got out of the car, begged Kristine to come back with us," Frank lamented. "She said 'no'. Patrick just...went crazy on her."

"You stood by and watched as he beat her with a rock," Tony snarled, clenching his fists tightly.

Frank looked away. "I...I was the one that got the rock out of his hand. We...we knew if we called police Patrick would be arrested. So I...had Patrick put her in the back of my truck, he changed into some clothes I had and we disposed of the bloody ones. We...we dropped her off near the shelter figuring she would be able to get help."

Tony felt like strangling the man. "You left her to die."

"Agent DiNozzo," the lawyer snapped, "Are you charging my client with anything?"

"Unfortunately all I can charge him with is negligent homicide and obstruction. I'd like to charge him with more," Tony snapped back. "Bishop have legal draft up the right paper work. I'm going to go see Gibbs, so we can close this messed up case."

When he stepped out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him, he wasn't surprised when Gibbs stepped out of Observation. Tony set his jaw and shoved his hands into his pockets. "He should rot in hell for what he did-standing by like that while Patrick beat that woman to death."

Gibbs nodded. "Yeah. Well, that's why he's going to jail. You did good in there, DiNozzo."

"I really wanted to punch the guy."

"Well, you showed excellent will power."

Bishop came out then, closing the door behind her softly. "He seems remorseful."

Tony threw her a heated glare. "Remorseful? He watched his son beat a woman to death. He deserves to rot."

Gibbs could see his newest agent visibly shrink. She had yet to see this Tony, the one that was angry, truly angry. He sent her on her way and looked his SFA up and down for a moment. "Something bothering you, DiNozzo?"

"Just this case, boss."

"You seem tense."

"I haven't slept in three days."

"DiNozzo," he said, gesturing for the SFA to follow.

"Yeah?" Tony ground out, then noticed that Gibbs was heading towards the elevator.

Gibbs waited patiently inside the cab for Tony. When the senior field agent entered, he reached out and pressed the button to close the doors all before he hit the emergency switch. "Talk to me, DiNozzo."

Tony looked at him, nervously. "About what?"

"How about we start with what's bothering you?"

"Nothing's bothering me...I'm fine."

"DiNozzo..."

Tony sighed, heavily and ran a hand through his hair. "It's Leah...I...I screwed up boss. I mean big time. I know...I know I can't control my dreams but what idiot tells his girlfriend that he's having dreams about the woman he used to be in love with? Oh! That would be me! I don't blame her for walking away! I don't! I'd probably walk away too if I was in the same place as she is!"

Gibbs nodded, just letting him vent. Tony had to get everything out before the former marine could begin to help him. Right now Tony had such a wounded look in his eyes that Gibbs wasn't sure he could help him.

"She told me...she told me I had to let go...for good...if I wanted it to last," Tony murmured. "I just...I just don't know how to let go."

"Tony. She's right."

"I know...it wouldn't be fair to her. She deserves...she deserves better than me."

Gibbs sighed and shook his head. "Tony, she does deserve better...better treatment..not a better man."

Tony leaned against the wall of the cab. "What do I do, boss? I don't...I don't want to lose her. Yet, I'm...I'm not sure how to keep that from happening. I've done everything I can think of to let Ziva go. I just...I don't know how to make Leah see that."

"Have you told Leah you love her?"

"What?"

"Have you told Leah you love her."

"No...not yet."

Gibbs looked at Tony, sternly. "She needs to know you love her. There's only so many ways you can show her until she needs to hear it. Listen, you've been dating her almost a month and a half now. Anyone in this building who knows you can see how much you love her. I've never seen you fight so hard, Tony, to keep a relationship. You let Wendy walk, you let Jeanne go, and you left Ziva in Israel. You took those hits on the chin and moved on."

Tony shook his head. "I fought like hell for all of them."

"After they were gone, Tony. Leah's not gone yet."

"Boss, I don't think I can lose another one of those fights."

Gibbs could see the vulnerability in Tony's eyes and he knew his SFA was right. He'd been through so much in his life and there were plenty of people who were just wondering when Tony was going to break. Gibbs was beginning to wonder if losing Leah would be the last straw for Tony. "You know the case is closed. Bishop is talking to legal, JAG has been called in-all that's left is to speak one last time to Patrick. Looks like we're going to get out of here early for once."

Tony ran a hand through his hair and shot Gibbs a confused look. And then it understood. The boss was telling him what to do-without actually telling him what to do. "Yeah...going home early sounds nice." But first he had a case to close and then he would begin the fight to keep Leah.

 


	11. I Love You

There was one more thing to do before the team could enjoy their weekend and that was handing their suspect over to the military police. Gibbs sat down, quietly facing Patrick Webber for the last time. "We found your clothes, Patrick. Your finger prints are all over the plastic bag they were discarded in. The blood on them matches Kristine's. You're going away for a long time."

Webber glared at the former marine. "So what? I can just argue that my dad killed her."

"Your father told us everything," Tony said from the corner. "He said you beat her with the rock when she wouldn't come with you."

"My father would not flip on me!" Webber shouted. "He's family!"

Tony kept his cool, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "Guess what? He did."

Gibbs saw it happening before it actually happened. Webber threw his chair out from underneath him and lunged across the table towards Tony. Both federal agents were ready for the physical attack and easily subdued him, pinning him on the table and slapping cuffs on him. "MP's are here to take you to a holding cell, Webber," Gibbs snarled. "You're lucky I don't add another charge to the list-assaulting a federal agent!"

Webber spit at both Tony and Gibbs as he was pulled from the table by the military police. His string of expletives could be heard all the way down the hall, cursing NCIS, Gibbs, Tony to hell. Both agents knew it wouldn't be the last time a suspect cursed them and it certainly wasn't the first time.

"Holy fish sticks," Bishop said appearing in the door with McGee. "Things like this definitely do not happen at the NSA."

Gibbs laughed and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Nope. They don't. Another case down, Probie. Now-all of you get the hell out of here and enjoy your weekend. I don't want to see you until Monday."

* * *

Leah was prepared to spend her evening with a bottle of wine, some ice cream, and watching a movie _._ She came back from fixing Delilah's hair pretty much sick to her stomach to see how happy her friend was when Tim had come to pick her up.

Her own relationship was in shambles and Leah wasn't sure how to fix it. Delilah had sensed something was wrong and tried to coax her into talking about it, but Leah wrote it off as jet-lag and working a full class schedule upon returning. Delilah was too excited and anxious about the date to notice that she was lying.

Uncorking her bottle of wine she found a glass and poured herself a healthy serving. "What a lame Friday night, Leah," she mumbled to herself as she made her way into the living room.

She had just put the movie in the DVD player when there was a knock on her door. She rolled her eyes because she had a pretty good idea that it was Meghan stopping by to drag her out for a girl's night. She was known for doing that, for hitting the buzzer of her neighbor and sweet-talking her way into the building. But when she opened the door it was Tony standing here.

"Hi," he greeted her softly, "can I...can I come in?"

"Yes," she whispered, stepping aside to let him in.

Tony made his way into her living room, taking in the scene. Glass of wine, pint of ice cream- _God I really messed up._ He looked at her, sincerely. "I'm sorry, Leah."

Leah adverted her eyes and bit down on her lip to stop herself from bursting into tears. "It's fine," she said, in barely a whisper, "you shouldn't have to apologize. You can't help the way you feel."

"None of this is your fault, Leah. You were right-if I want this relationship to last I've got to finally put you before Ziva."

"Tony, that was unfair of me to ask you to just forget about her."

"Leah, our relationship will never last if I don't at least put her behind me," Tony said, taking a tentative step towards her. "I dreamt about you a lot after you left. Some of them were pleasant dreams, others not so much. I would dream about you being taken away from me, how powerless I was to protect you, and I'd dream about making love to you-sometimes right here in your living room. Every dream just made me miss you more, want you with me more. You walking away from me last night made me realize that I want you in my life-forever and I'm going to fight like hell to keep you there."

She blinked back her tears and crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself tightly. "Why? Why would you want to fight for me?"

He couldn't believe she was even asking that question. But then it hit him. She was so confident and sure of herself most of the time but it turned out she was just as insecure as he was when it came to a committed relationship. "Because you're worth it, Leah. Listen, I came back…I came back from Israel a confused…maybe slightly lost soul. I didn't know where to go, who to turn too. I began to fall apart. And then that day…that day that I met you…I realized something-that life moves on. People come and go. And to be honest with you, if she were to come back today, at this very moment and knock on that door asking me to be with her-I wouldn't do it."

Leah wiped her nose on the back of her hand. "Yeah, right. You'd walk away from someone that you were in love with for the last two years."

Tony smiled sadly and moved towards her, wiping her tears away. "Yes, I would. Truth is, we might have loved one another but we would have destroyed each other. We were fire and ice. But maybe the easiest answer to that is- I love _you_ now."

"What?"

"Not quite the reaction I was looking for. I. Love. You."

Leah tossed him a watery smile through her tears. She grabbed a hold of his blazer and pulled him down for a lingering, passionate kiss. When she pulled back, she sighed, "I love you too."

Tony felt a sense of relief wash through him. There had always been a small chance that she didn't love him back and he knew for a fact he couldn't take his heart being broken anymore. He took her face between his hands and wiped at the tears on her cheeks. "So, what movie are you watching?"

" _Roman Holiday."_

"Ah, Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck."

"Do you want to stay and watch with me?" she asked coyly.

Tony smiled and pressed is lips to hers one more time. "I'd thought you'd never ask."

* * *

Tim was going to have to give Tony credit where credit was due. His senior field agent certainly knew how to put together a romantic date and it was probably the easiest one that Tim had been on in weeks.

After a wonderful dinner Tim had taken Delilah back to her apartment. She had invited him inside and now they were sitting on her sofa, curled up together watching a movie. He knew that they were not ready to be intimate again, that was going to take more time, but he felt that they were moving in the right direction.

Delilah smiled at him and pressed her lips to his. "Thanks for a wonderful date," she whispered, "Tell Tony he knows how to plan one."

"Was it that obvious?" Tim asked, frowning slightly.

"Yes, it was," Delilah said with a chuckle. "But don't worry. I appreciate the effort. And besides, it was _you_ that made the night. Tony could only do so much."

Tim smiled at her sadly. He brushed the curls that had fallen in her face back and kissed her. "I'm sorry, Delilah," he said, pulling back,"I have been the biggest jerk when it comes to our relationship. And believe me...I'm going to get...help with dealing with my problems and guilt."

Delilah grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck, she embraced him, reminding him that she was still the same woman after all and as she kissed him, he realized that perhaps it wasn't going to take them as along to get back to their intimate relationship again because he was still, and always would be, very much attracted to her.


	12. Finally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an M-rated chapter that did not make it into the final cut on FF. Consider it a missing scene if you have already read the story before ;)

Tony woke up on Leah’s sofa, his shirt halfway unbuttoned, his tie nowhere to be found. _Did we start something and I fell asleep?_ the dazed federal agent wondered as he looked around his girlfriend’s living room. The movie was over, late night television playing softly in the background. However, Leah, was missing. 

Sitting up Tony glanced down and noticed that his shoes were gone as well. “Leah?” he called out, his voice a bit raspy and not quite awake yet. He heard some movement from the bedroom but she didn’t respond to him. _Dear God, I did... I fell asleep before we could have sex._  This entire relationship was not going according to plan. It was almost like everything was conspiring against him to be with her. “Leah?” he said again, this time a bit stronger. He rose off the sofa and headed towards her bedroom. If she was going to give him the silent treatment... fine... but she was going to have to listen...

He stopped in his tracks at the entrance of her bedroom. Leah was standing in front of her mirror, running her fingers through her hair and wearing nothing but a red lacy teddy and a matching pair of lacy panties that barely concealed her. She caught his reflection in the mirror and turned to look at him coyly. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to wait,” she teased him.

Instantly everything started to rush—his memory of their make out session on the sofa, the blood to certain areas of his body. He hadn’t fallen asleep in the middle of sex... he had fallen asleep after she’d told him to wait there on the sofa.  Swallowing, Tony took a step into the bedroom. “What can I say? I’m rather impatient.”

“I suppose you have had to wait an awfully long time for this,” Leah countered, smiling.

“Good things come to those who wait, huh?” Tony said, feeling his heart skip several beats.

Leah ran her tongue over her lips. “Yes, but I don’t want to wait much longer...”

Tony growled a little as he stepped even closer to her. “How much did you pay for that?”

She looked down at the red lace garment and held it up slightly, revealing her smooth stomach. “This? It was on sale at Victoria Secret. Why?”

He hooked his fingers in the band of the panties and pulled her towards him. “Because,” he rasped, his voice filled with lust, “I want to rip it off of you.”

“If you do that, I won’t be able to wear it again for you,” Leah teased, a coy look on her face.

“Good point,” Tony murmured as he lowered his mouth towards her, “A very good point.”

Leah buried her hands in his hair and pulled him closer, capturing his mouth in a passionate kiss. His mouth had already been open, mid sentence, so her tongue easily slipped inside, tasting the wine and the slight hint of chocolate sauce.

Tony didn’t take long to join her in the dance, sweeping his own tongue in and around her mouth, lapping up the tastes of their midnight snack. He felt the heat rising in his stomach. She was the only woman that had ever, ever done things to him when kissing him. Not even someone as passionate as Ziva had gotten him going so quickly.  He loved Leah with every fiber of his being. He loved her so much that he felt it to the very core of his soul and he wanted nothing more than to be joined with her in the most intimate way possible.

She gasped for breath then, breaking the exploration both of them were on of the other’s mouth and lips. Softly, she sighed, and titled her head back, exposing her creamy flesh of her neck.

He took the bait and leaned in, kissing the pulse point behind her ear. His hands fingers remained firmly hooked in the band on her panties and his mouth swept down from that pulse point, across her collarbone, to the hollow of her neck and then lower to the valley between her breasts. Instantly the smell of her perfume washed over him and he growled, nipping gently at top of her chest.

Leah was sure that he could feel her heart beating right through her skin as he alternated between kissing her flesh and gently nibbling on it.

Tony smirked when she whimpered at the soft pressure of his teeth on the top of her breasts. “Do you like that?” he purred, his breathe hot against her skin.

“Yes,” she sighed, closing her eyes and reveling in the sensations he was causing in her body.

“Mmmm,” he murmured, “I bet I know something you’d like more.”

“Do you now? So what’s taking so long?”

“You can’t rush art, baby.”

Leah might have rolled her eyes if what he was doing to her body at the moment didn’t cause a rush of heat to course through her. He slipped the teddy up and over her head, tossing it aside. His mouth then descended onto her breast, drawing the nipple between his teeth. He sucked, and tugged, and nibbled.  She pulled him in closer by his hair, moaning her approval.

Tony felt his erection just begging him to be satisfied, but he had just told her that they couldn’t rush things. He willed his body to slow things down as he took her other breast into his mouth and offered it the same wonderful attention as the last. Releasing her, he slid down her body, pressing kisses to her stomach, he pulled her panties down, sliding them off.  He kissed the inside of each thigh, breathed in the scent of her, and groaned.

It had been so long since he’d been with a woman... pulling himself up to his full height, he lifted her off the floor and laid her down onto her bed, stretching his tall frame out on top of her naked body. Immediately his mouth went to work, kissing and caressing her body, reducing her to a writhing, begging mess underneath him.

She gripped the sheets and panted. God, he was doing things to her that no man had ever done before. Her heart was pounding against her rib cage, her breathing was shallow and she didn’t care how loud she was being... it felt _that_ good.

He was surprised how vocal she was. It appeared that she wasn’t as reserved in bed as she was in the outside world. Gently he pushed her legs further apart and slowly began to lick and tug at her slick folds.

“Yes... oh God... _Tony,_ ” Leah moaned, her head rolling over the pillows. “More... feels so...feels so good.”

Tony smirked as he continued to thrust his tongue in and out of her, working her clit and relishing in the little gasps and groans escaping her. His whole body was pulsing as he lapped up every little taste of her.

Leah’s eyes closed and she rolled her hips into his eager tongue, sliding him even deeper inside of her. She gasped in surprised when he hit the perfect spot, which turned into loud moans as he relentlessly hit it over and over again until finally her orgasm ripped through her.

He pulled back, panting, eyes dilated and he watched as she came down from her high.  Tony couldn’t recall wanting a woman so badly. He was always turned on by a woman that highly enjoyed his foreplay but Leah responding to him that way was almost too much to take. There was a good chance he could come right there watching her gasping, chest heaving...

She smiled, coyly and pushed herself up into a sitting position. Quickly she worked on the buttons of his shirt, pushing it off his shoulders and then running her fingers over his bare chest, tweaking his nipples.

“Leah,” Tony sighed, huskily. He reached for her hands and guided them down to the button on his jeans. Together they worked the clothing off and he kicked the pants across the floor. It didn’t take long for his boxers to be discarded as well. He saw her pupils dilate as she took in his naked body, heightening his own desire. Leaning forward he captured her lips between his own and groaned, “God, Leah... I want you...badly.”

“Yes... I can clearly see that,” Leah said, smirking as she ran her heel along his erection. He shuddered and moaned, low in his throat, highly enjoying the feel of her foot against his length. She continued to rub his cock with her heel, grinning, “Maybe we should do something about this...”

He rocked his hips against her foot and groaned, “Condoms?”

She gestured towards her nightstand with her chin. “In the drawer.”

Tony rolled off the bed and found the box in the drawer, he grabbed a condom, tore the foil off between his teeth and then worked the latex over his hard shaft. He quickly joined her back on the bed. Tony captured her lips in a heated kiss and with her legs wrapped around him, he gently thrust inside of her.

Leah let out a throaty moan, her breath hot and moist against his bare shoulder. For a second they laid there, completely still, panting and clinging to one another. Perhaps they were both slightly afraid that this wasn’t going to live up to expectations... until Tony started to move his hips and then all doubt seemed to just fade away.  

“ _Oh...”_ Tony moaned, finally feeling his intense desire being for filled. He thrust his hips rhythmically against her, trying to make the encounter last as long as possible... but she felt so good... “ _Oh...Leah...”_

“Anthony,” Leah panted, matching his thrusts, meeting him over and over again as a fire grew in her stomach. She had been taken aback and thrilled at the same time how his girth stretched her to her limit. Gripping his sweat covered shoulders in her hands, she rose to meet him and kissed him, hungrily.  Breaking their lips apart with a gasp, she sighed, huskily, “ _More...”_

Tony groaned at her plea. He involuntarily quickened his pace, thrusting hard into her and shuddering with each heavy cry that left her lips. He was a man that was quite proud of his stamina when it came to bedding a woman, but since returning from Israel he had barely glanced at a woman—until Leah. Now, that woman was underneath him, her body entwined with his, pleasure coursing through her veins. He was fueled by every vocal assurance on her part that this was exactly what she had been wanting... it took him a few seconds to realize that his own voice was intermingling with her own as their bodies came crashing together over and over again, fully engaged in this erotic tango. Wrapping his arm around her waist he drew her closer to him, his lips found hers once again and he devoured her mouth until his lungs burned for air. They broke apart once again gasping and moaning, not particularly caring if anyone heard them. Underneath them the bed creaked with their frantic movements.  

Leah lightly dug her fingernails into his skin, panting her head rolled backwards and she let him take over, let the intense emotions and sensations claim her.  This was not her first sexual encounter by any means but it was the most intense and she had never felt her body reach completion so hard, so splintering that she was certain for a moment she blacked out.

Feeling her climaxing around him and hearing his name shouted towards the ceiling, Tony thrust, deep inside of her one last time, his whole entire body shuddering and exploding as wave after wave of intense satisfaction washed over him.

Several seconds passed as they laid together, breathing heavily and sweat cooling their bodies.  Tony would be the one to break the silence with a husky laugh, "Wow."

Leah joined his husky laughter with some of her own. "See," she said, still panting a little, "I told you we'd get there."


	13. The Right Direction

Tony woke up to the sound of rain pounding against Leah's windows. Blinking his eyes open, he peered into the dimly lit room and smiled when he saw their clothes _everywhere._

He reached out and wrapped his arms around Leah's waist, pulling her towards him. She only stirred for a moment but then burrowed against him and went back to sleep. Tony laid there, listening to the sound of the rain and her breathing. In the gray light of a rainy morning, she looked beautiful-comfortable and content lying in his arms and Tony admitted to himself that he could get used to this, waking up with her next to him

Pushing her hair back so he could see her face, Tony kissed her behind her ear. Leah stirred and groaned, refusing to open her eyes. Tony grinned wickedly and shifted her out of his arms on to her back. He positioned himself over her and laid a trail of kisses from behind her ear all the way to her naval.

Leah squirmed under him, protesting slightly to being woken up. "Five more minutes, Mom, please?"

Tony chuckled, "I hope I don't remind you of your mother right now." He began to kiss his way up her body to her mouth, capturing her lips between his own. He deepened the kiss, sliding his hand up her thigh and stopping to place it on her hip. "Come on, Ms. Dawson, it's time to wake up."

"But I don't want too," she whined, stretching underneath him.

"What if I promised you a fabulous breakfast?"

"Pancakes?"

He pressed his lips into the hollow of her neck. "Pancakes, bacon, eggs-how about the works?"

She smiled, gently, but refused to open her eyes still. "Sounds yummy."

"You only get it if you open those beautiful eyes."

"No fair. You play dirty."

Tony ran his hands up her smooth stomach while he kissed her. Pulling back he grinned wickedly once more. "Yes. It's much more fun when you play dirty." He traced circles on her abdomen. "You're beautiful, Leah," he whispered, trying to desperately coax her to open her eyes.

His comment had the desired effect. Leah's eyes slowly opened and she smiled at him. "Even with my hair all matted and tangled and make-up smudged thanks to you messing it all up last night?"

"Yes. Absolutely," Tony replied, smiling. "Besides...you rather enjoyed my messing up your hair and make up last night."

"Alright, I won't lie-I did," Leah said.

Tony pushed her hair back and held her face between his hands, studying every inch of her beautiful face, memorizing every beauty mark and freckle. He still couldn't believe that this woman loved him. Sure, he'd stopped by last night willing to put everything on the line and fight hard for her, but his pessimistic side was telling him that he was going to be walking away forever. That hadn't happened though. She had admitted she loved him too and instead of going home he'd watched a movie with her and then made love to her.

Leah saw the intense look in his eyes and asked, "Everything alright?"

He smiled and kissed her tenderly. "Everything is perfect."

"So...what about my breakfast?"

"I suppose I can get working on that."

Tony kissed her one more time before rolling off of her and getting out of bed. He found his discarded boxers, jeans and tee shirt. Behind him he could hear her groan in disappointment. He turned slightly and grinned. "What? Did you think I was going to cook you breakfast naked? Bacon grease in certain areas isn't much fun, you know."

Leah smiled, teasingly. She rolled over onto her side and pulled her sheet close to her body. The look in her eyes made him want to take his clothes off and jump back into bed with her again. "So that means you've cooked breakfast naked before?" she asked, coyly.

"Perhaps I have," he replied, just as coyly as his cell phone rang. _Good damn it, really?_ He fished it out of his pocket. " _What_ McGee? _."_

" _Hey. Delilah and I were wondering if...if you and Leah were doing anything this morning?"_

_"_ Why? Do you miss me?"

McGee scoffed. " _No. But Delilah wanted to...thank you both. And she knows this great bistro that serves brunch."_

Tony pursed his lips together and glanced at Leah, still wrapped up in her sheets watching him. He really wanted to just spend the day with his girlfriend but at the same time he couldn't say no to Delilah-not after all she had been through in the last few weeks. He raised his eyebrows and made eye contact with Leah. "Brunch, huh? What time?"

Leah pouted and climbed out of bed. She found some clothes herself and disappeared into the bathroom. Tony barely got the time and place from McGee before he hung up his phone and chased after her.

"Are you going to join me, Very Special Agent DiNozzo?"

"Ms. Dawson, how did you know that we'd get ready _much_ faster if we showered together?"

She threw him a grin and started the shower up. She pulled the curtain back and stepped inside, beckoning him with one, slender finger. "Well, then, I guess we shouldn't waste anymore time."

He threw his clothes off and got in the shower faster than he had ever had in his life.

* * *

The rain had let up by the time Tony's car pulled up outside a small, cozy bistro in Georgetown. He shut the car down and smiled, sweetly, at Leah. "You know, he's going to know _why_ we were so late."

Leah glared at him, only slightly though. "So? You didn't have to take a shower with me."

"Ah, if I remember correctly you asked me to join you. What did you think was going to happen?"

"If you had wanted to be here on time then you shouldn't have joined me."

Tony somehow knew he wasn't going to win this argument. He surrendered and got out of the car, pulling his leather jacket against his body tightly to ward off the raw chill in the air. He came around to the front of the car and met up with Leah, grabbing a hold of her hand. They entered the bistro and made their way to the back of the crowded room to a large booth.

Delilah and Tim were already seated on one side, her wheelchair tucked away in a corner. She smiled, brightly, at the couple and waved them over. "What took you so long?" she asked, with a teasing glint in her eyes.

Leah just smiled as she slid into the booth. Tony tossed her an incredulous look as he slid into the booth next to her. When he looked up at Tim and Delilah he could see both of them grinning. "What?" he snapped.

"Isn't that the shirt you had on yesterday?" McGee asked.

"So what if it is?" Tony shot back.

"Might be time to keep some clothes at your girlfriend's apartment."

"Just order your breakfast, Tim."

Tim chuckled and went back to looking at his menu. It wasn't often that he got to ruffle Tony's feathers, but when he did, you better believe he was going to take his opportunity and run with it. Although he was happy that his partner seemed to be getting over his fear of commitment. Tony still had a long away to go but he was heading in the right direction.

Leah was good for Tony, Tim concluded. As much as he liked Ziva, he could only see a romantic relationship between Tony and Ziva ending in disaster-or perhaps one of them dead. Either way, it would have torn the team apart. Gibbs would have been furious that his agents had broken the rules. He'd been furious with Tony once before that he'd been sleeping with E.J Barrett. Tim could only imagine the backlash that would have come if Tony had started to sleep with Ziva. Gibbs had those rules for a reason.

Tony seemed happy too. He smiled more at work, was joking more again-not as obnoxiously as before because he was trying to change, but it was a sure sign that he was moving on.

"I'm guessing your date went well last night?" the senior field agent asked when the girls had disappeared into the bathroom at the end of breakfast. "I mean...Delilah wouldn't want to thank us otherwise."

"Yeah, it went well. The restaurant was great, the movie afterwards at her place was great," Tim admitted.

"And did it help in other areas?"

"I think...we're going to be ready to get back to that level of our relationship again soon."

Tony smiled and finished his coffee. "Good. Glad I could help out a little bit."

Tim shook his head. "You helped out _a lot._ I'm not...I'm not very romantic."

"Neither am I."

"What? Are you kidding? You chased after Ziva for _four_ months!"

"That might be considered stalking, not romantic."

Leah and Delilah came back at that moment. She helped the other woman out of her wheelchair and Delilah was able to pull herself into the booth. Smiling she looked at the two men, "What are you boys talking about?"

Tony and Tim exchanged nervous glances before they answered at the same time, "Work."

"It's Saturday! Stop talking about work," Leah chided them. She tossed Tony a smile before planting a kiss on his cheek.

After that Tony was thinking about _anything_ but work.

 


	14. Justice

Sunday morning rolled around, dawning bright and sunny. Tony made the breakfast he'd promised Leah from the day before and brought it to her in bed. After they ate, they snuggled up under the covers and watched _Silver Linings Playbook._

It wasn't a movie that Leah would normally pick, because she was after all more of a classic movie girl- but she did think Bradley Cooper was cute, so Tony had put the DVD in.

Tony was much too enthralled that Leah liked movies almost as much as he did to be bothered by the fact she thought the actor in the movie was extremely hot. Finally he'd found someone that would be willing to indulge him. He ran his fingers through her hair, gently, lovingly, just enjoying her being that close to him. It was cliché and he knew it, but she fit perfectly in his arms, against him, and it was the most natural feeling in the world. "What am I going to do without you for three months?" he whispered in her ear.

"Survive, because that's what you do," Leah replied with a small smile.

"It's going to be hard," Tony admitted. "Harder than when I lost Kate or when Ziva left."

Leah rolled over and got of bed, pulling his dress shirt down to cover up her exposed backside. Tony watched her, grinning at how ridiculously huge his shirt was on her slender, petite body. She opened a drawer in her desk and pulled something out. When she turned to come back to the bed she had a legal pad and pen in her hand. She dropped it down on to the covers. "I assume, Special Agent DiNozzo, you know how to write a letter."

Tony nodded and smiled. "Yes, of course. But I'm going to warn you, Kate used to call my handwriting chicken scratch. How about I type?"

"Were the letters typed in _Letters to Juliet_ or _Dear John?_ "

"I'm going to ignore the reason I know the answer to that question but no, they were not."

She cocked an eyebrow in his direction. "See. It's more romantic if you _hand-write_ them to me."

He looked down at the legal pad, pondering how this stack of paper could be considered romantic. But...if she wanted handwritten letters while she was away, then handwritten letters she was going to get. He pulled himself up on his knees, the sheets falling around him, revealing that he was only wearing his boxers. He reached out and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her towards him in a passionate kiss. When he pulled back, he whispered, " _Ti amo, bella._ "

"Oh, sure, speak to me in a language I don't know."

"I love you, beautiful."

Her eyes sparkled and glistened for a moment before she pressed her mouth to his. They fell backwards against the soft pillows, Tony slowly pulling at the buttons on her shirt, both completely forgetting about the movie and not really caring that they were missing it.

* * *

Monday morning came much too fast for Tony. He'd spent the entire weekend at Leah's, only running home once to grab some clean clothes. He wanted more time with just the two of them because he knew it was fleeting. June was going to be here soon enough and she would be gone overseas for three months.

Fixing his tie he moved towards Leah's desk where he'd placed the legal pad she had given him. She was in the shower herself getting ready and he'd already told her he'd be gone by the time she got out. He had to make it to Falls Church to testify at Patrick Webber's preliminary hearing. Licking his lips and glancing over his shoulder at the bathroom, Tony sat down at the desk and picked up the pen.

It surprised him how fast the words just seemed to flow off the pen on to the paper. By the time he was done he had filled up two pages and gently stuffed them into an envelope. He sealed it and then placed it into Leah's bag, with instructions written on it, _do not open until June 4, 2014._

Tony slipped into his trench coat and grabbed his gear. Silently he made his way out of the apartment and down to his car. Falls Church, Virginia was waiting for him.

* * *

"Agent DiNozzo," Faith Coleman greeted him, coolly. "I see you still clean up nicely."

"Did you expect that to change, Captain? Just because you got stationed overseas?" Tony inquired, his smile dashing.

Coleman grinned ever so slightly. No, she did not expect him to change too much. In fact, in the four years that she had been away from Washington, Tony DiNozzo hadn't changed that much at all. He looked a little bit older but he still had that air of authority, calm, and confidence that made him a prosecutor's dream on the stand. "Agent Gibbs was kind enough to read me in on the case. Another job well done, Agent DiNozzo."

Tony shrugged. "Compared to most of our cases it was pretty cut and dry. Too bad we couldn't do our jobs before Patrick Webber beat his wife to death. Kristine Webber deserved so much better than she got."

"It's my job then to make sure she gets justice. NCIS has done theirs and caught the guy responsible," Coleman pointed out.

"Captain, I hope you nail the bastard," Tony said, firmly before swiftly entering the courtroom and taking his seat.

There was some buzz chatter in the room, mostly filled with brass and other military officials. Tony caught sight of Patrick Webber's mother, Kristine's parents sitting on opposite sides of the courtroom. It was Mrs. Fitzpatrick, Kristine's mother, that held her hand out to him first as he took his seat. "Agent DiNozzo, we cannot thank you enough for closing this case quickly. It doesn't bring our daughter back to us but it at least gives us closure."

He nodded his head. "Just doing my job, ma'am."

Coleman entered the courtroom, briefcase at her side and she glanced in Tony's direction. They had done this dance so many times before they didn't need to speak before the judge took his place and began the proceedings.

Tony had to sit through testimonies from both Ducky and Abby before he was called to the stand. It was moving along fast, quick and relatively painless. Of course, there wasn't much that the defense could do in this situation. It was just a hearing to determine whether there was enough evidence to proceed with a full trial. Tony took his oath and sat down, eyeing Coleman cautiously.

"Please state your name and occupation for the court," Coleman began, straightening her shoulders.

"Anthony DiNozzo, NCIS special agent," Tony recited.

"You were involved in the investigation of Kristine Webber's death?"

"Yes ma'am. My team responded to the call."

Coleman glanced at her file even though she didn't need to. "Dr. Mallard has already testified that Mrs. Webber died from blunt force trauma to the head. Did NCIS recover a weapon?"

Tony nodded, curtly. "Local police canvassed the area and found blood stains and rocks at a nearby construction site. NCIS processed the scene and the rocks were sent back to the lab to be tested by Ms. Sciuto."

"Ms. Sciuto testified that she determined that the blood was Kristine's and she found Corporal Webber's prints on them. NCIS obtain a warrant after that?"

"Yes ma'am, we did. My partner, Eleanor Bishop and I went to the Webbers' farm to arrest him."

"What happened at the farm?"

"Mr. Webber fired on us so his son could get away."

Coleman moved around from behind her table and went to stand in front of the witness stand. "Where was Corporal Webber picked up?"

Tony glanced in the direction of the defendant. "North Carolina by state troopers."

"Later, you discovered that Mr. Webber's truck had transported Kristine's body."

"Mr. Webber and Corporal Webber dropped her off at the shelter thinking she was going to get help."

"They didn't call 911 themselves."

He shook his head. "No ma'am. She died on the porch of the shelter."

Coleman thanked him and took a seat. Tony braced himself for the defense attorney.

"Agent DiNozzo, when you interrogated Corporal Webber, would you say he was emotionally stable?"

"He had some violent outbursts to our questions but I wouldn't say he was unstable."

"Do you ever get angry, Agent DiNozzo?"

"Pardon?"

The defense attorney grinned, slightly. "Do you ever get angry?"

Tony clenched his fists in his lap. "Sure. Who doesn't?"

"Do you ever want to strike at the person you're angry with?"

"I suppose."

"Even the woman you love?"

Tony recoiled at the thought of ever striking Leah. It disgusted him. It reminded him of his father's buddies, the ones that would get so drunk with his dad some nights and then take it out on their wives. His father never took it out on his mother, oh no, Senior had always taught him that hitting a woman was unacceptable. "No," he finally answered, a hint of anger in his voice, "I would never hit her and I certainly wouldn't pick up a rock and beat her with it."

Coleman bit her lip, fearful that the judge was going to find Tony out of order, but instead, the defense lawyer thanked him, sheepishly and backed away. She let out a slow breath, thankful that the oppositions line of questioning had backfired.

He was dismissed from the stand and Tony went to take a seat next to Abby, who gently grabbed a hold of his hand and squeezed it. He felt his anger slowly melt as they waited for the judge's ruling. No matter how the defense lawyer spun it, in Tony's mind Patrick had crossed a line that should never be crossed and he only prayed that the justice system punished him for it.

 


	15. A Future

Tony was still unnerved by the line of questioning from the hearing that afternoon, but he was doing his best to let it roll off his shoulders as he picked Leah up for a night out with his team. They were going out to celebrate Jimmy and Breena getting the adoption papers approved and just because it had been awhile since they had all gone out.

Leah sensed that Tony was bothered by something but she didn't ask him about it. She got into his car, smiled warmly and kissed his cheek. "Smile," she ordered him, "this is supposed to be a celebration!"

"Sorry, I've had a long day," Tony mumbled as he pulled the car away from the curb. "Court always puts me in a bad mood."

"Did it not go well?" Leah inquired.

"No, it went well," he replied. "JAG managed to get him to sign a deal. He's going to jail for twenty-five years."

She was confused as to why he was so grumpy then. "Well, that's good...right?"

He shrugged. "I guess."

"Tony, what's bothering you?"

"Damn defense lawyer tried to get me to condone his client's actions by cornering me into admitting I've thought about hitting you."

Leah looked at him nervously. "Have you? Thought about hitting me?"

Tony glanced at her as he stopped the car at a light. He could see the slight fear in her eyes. "Oh sweetheart," he whispered, reaching out and grabbing a hold of her hand. "I have never, _ever_ thought about hitting you. My father may have been a drunk most of my childhood but he never hurt my mother and it was the one thing he truly taught me. I would never, _will_ never raise a hand to you."

"I know," she whispered as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Guess...well isn't that the fear of every woman?"

"What fear would that be?"

"Falling in love with a monster."

He thought about it for a moment as the light turned green and he pushed the car forward. It seemed simple to him that Kristine could have left Patrick all those years ago, but she hadn't, not until it was too late and her husband had so much control over her that he was out of control. But it wasn't that simple. Kristine had still loved that man despite all his flaws and violence. "It still doesn't give a man the right to use physical violence to exert dominance over a woman."

She gave his hand a squeeze. "Tony, I never thought you'd hurt me. But it's just...it's just nice to hear you say it."

Tony pulled the car up into a parking space in front of the bar they were meeting the team at. He shut the car down and turned towards her. "Leah," he said, firmly, "Have you...has someone hurt you before?"

"No, I...I had a roommate in college," Leah replied. "Her boyfriend was...well...controlling. He scared me and we barely spoke."

"Controlling in the sense that he was physically abusive?"

"Physically, verbally-you name it."

"Leah, what happened to your roommate?"

Her eyes filled with tears but she managed to hold them back. "Committed suicide because she didn't think she was good enough for him. I vowed to myself, after they found her, that I was never going to let a man do that to me. I've walked away from a lot of relationships that have had potential because I could see them becoming...well...not so good."

He studied her face for a moment before kissing her, tenderly. "Wow, we're just spilling all kinds of personal information tonight, aren't we?"

"My roommate killing herself, just like your dad being a drunk, they made us who we are," she pointed out.

"I've never been this open with anyone before, Leah."

"Should I feel special?"

Tony chuckled. "You should feel very special."

Leah rolled her eyes playfully before she got out of the car, Tony following behind her. They entered the crowded bar, Tony guiding her towards the back table with a hand on the small of her back. Jimmy and Breena were there, Tim and Delilah, and Abby, and he could see that they were all looking at photographs of something

When they got closer he could see that they were sonograms of a baby-the baby that Jimmy and Breena were going to be adopting. It was hard to believe that their little, shy, awkward autopsy gremlin was all grown up. But there was the evidence right in front of him in the form of incredibly detailed photographs of a baby still in utero.

Tony congratulated both Jimmy and Breena, but let Leah do all the gushing over the photographs. The girls were more eager to discuss baby names and things that he didn't really care to talk about, and while Tim went to get another round of beers, Tony peered down at the photographs. A long time ago he'd thought about what it would be like to be a dad, when he had been engaged to Wendy, and he'd thought about it again after Jeanne had left. He realized that he'd spent a lot of time longing for those families that he'd lost before he'd ever really obtained them.

Now, as Leah looked up and smiled at him, he realized he wanted nothing more than to perhaps have a family with her. It was probably cheesy, but he could see them together with children, in that sweet smile she gave him.

"Okay, beers all around," Tim announced, putting the bottles down on the high-top table. He caught the look in Tony's eyes and grinned, "You think you'll ever have one of these someday?" he asked gesturing towards the photographs.

"Maybe. You?" Tony threw back at his partner, who got a stunned look in his eyes.

"Yeah...yeah I'd like to be a dad someday."

Tony smirked at him. "But you're surprised I'd want to be one."

Tim nervously looked at Jimmy. "Well...to be honest...I am. You just...you didn't seem interested in that."

"Guess some things just change," Tony said, grinning and making eye contact with Leah one more time. And change, he decided, wasn't such a bad thing after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the final chapter for "Sinners and Saints". I hope you enjoyed it! I am in the process of moving all of my stuff over here and closing my FF account. It might be a while before new work pops up, but I promise I haven't stopped writing, just halted updating.


End file.
